The Collinsport Chronicles XIII: Leviathan!
by Maryland Rose
Summary: A vampire, a witch, three werewolves. Plus a zebra couple. The last line of defense against the Leviathan...
1. Chapter 1

The Leviathan are closer to coming over after Carolyn is pregnant with a half Leviathan baby. Megan, Roxanne, Angelique, and Julia wonder if they will be able to stop them in time. They need werewolves, but Chris is still possessed by Tom and they do not know if they can break the possession in time.

* * *

LEVIATHAN

Chapter 1

Barnabas cursed inwardly at the typewriter. How could that thing save him time if he kept on hitting the wrong key? He should have known better than to get it...

And still he had not solved his problem of not enough time. Specially now that the nights were growing shorter. Commuting between Davenport and Julia was getting harder.

Well, maybe Davenport would get him off the hook and fire him.

His musing were interrupted by Amy.

"I signed in as a volunteer for Anderson. We will be leaving in a bus to campaign in a couple of days."

He wished that he could do the same. But the fact was that Anderson was a long shot.

"You don't approve?" Amy asked.

"I do. I like him. Against Carter he might win. But getting the nomination is another story. Like it or not, Carter's the best we can do, which says something about the state of the country."

"We believe that we can get him nominated."

"Well, it is worth a try" Barnabas agreed. "You said your were going to be traveling, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Do you have the money for it?"

"Not much, but..."

"But you thought you could hit me for a loan." Barnabas sighed. "my own finances are a mess, but I'll see what I can do. At worst, I'll give the bill to Chris when he comes out of Wyncliffe."

"Chris" Amy's face darkened.

"He's going to get out, don't worry. Julia's optimistic about him."

"You see him?" he hoped that Amy would not ask for specifics. Julia might be right about the treatment that Chris was receiving, but he preferred not to think about it.

"Is he improving?"

"Yes."

"Did he ask about me?"

"Not yet." he decided to lie a bit "he broke free of Tom's grip a few times, but it was too short. With luck soon that will be permanent."

"Would it matter if I left now?"

"No, it wouldn't He will understand why you had to. In fact, last time I spoke to him, he said that you had to make a life for yourself."

* * *

He was falling...falling... and...

There was something at the bottom, waiting for him.

Phillip twisted and moaned, sinking his teeth into he padding of his cell, trying to escape Tom Jennings. Tom and that bottle...

...He was now lying down, bound and gagged. He strained at his bonds, knowing that he could not keep Tom from doing anything he wanted with him. He could see Amy's and Oriana's eyes fixed on him, recording every one of the indignities forced on him...

What would Tom do? No, not that...he wouldn't dare...

Julia studied him and turned to Roxanne "you still want to question him now?"

"We have to, until he tells me what I want to know."

"What would that be?"

"None of your business, doctor."

"I don't see the point in asking him about the bottle. The only bottle that matters is the one that was used on him."

"If we keep asking long enough, the other one will come through."

"He might end up catatonic."

"We have ways to get information out of catatonics, if we have to."

They went into the cell, Roxanne leading, and Julia trailing, and shaking her head impotently.

"Phillip" Roxanne asked "I still want to know about the bottle."

...Tom was coming back. "No! Not that! Keep away from me!"

"Tell us about the bottle" Roxanne insisted.

"No!" he screamed again. "Not that! Don't' touch me! Don't! Don't!"

* * *

Willie studied his calendar. In a few days he would see Louella again. He had missed her. Not as terribly as when she had left him the first time, but he did.

But unlike the first time, this time he knew that he was to blame for it and was trying to do something about it. Julia had helped him understand himself a little better. Enough to realize that Barnabas had been right to interfere as he had done.

He would do something about it. He had no illusions. It would be slow and painful. And it would be worth it.

* * *

"I feel cold" Carolyn complained.

"You have to expect these things" Vicky said. "After all, you are pregnant."

"Yes." Carolyn acknowledged, then added. "what do you think it will be, a boy or a girl?"

"It is too early to tell."

"I think that now you can find out."

"I wouldn't know" Vicky was alarmed "but it might be dangerous to do it."

"If it is a girl, I will call her Carolyn."

"And if it is a boy?"

"Carl. Quentin does not like the name, but then he has nothing to say about it. It isn't as if it was his baby."

Before Vicky would answer, Carolyn shivered uncontrollably.

"I suppose this is something else that comes with pregnancy" she said.

* * *

"All right, Tom" Julia said mirthlessly "we have another session."

"You don't like them much, do you, doctor?" Tom sneered at her.

"You like them even less" Roxanne shrugged "and we can take it better than you can."

Julia wondered how she had become inured to this. She remembered herself as a student. She would have never been capable of torturing anybody, would not have believed herself capable of it. The horror that she had seen in Barnabas' eyes when he had found out...

She tried her favorite excuse, that after what happened with Dave, Barnabas had no right to be shocked at anything she did. But it sounded hollow.

She watched Tom's face, contorted with pain. The futility of it hit her.

And then Tom's eyes changed. She could not describe it, but she knew that those were Chris' eyes.

But before she could tell Roxanne to stop the current, Tom had regained control of the body.

That had to give up for the day. The body could be damaged if they continued, and they did not want that. They wanted Chris to be in good shape when they finally recovered him.

"At least, we now know that Tom is beginning to lose hold" Roxanne said.

"Chris" Julia said, staring into Tom's eyes. "I know that you are there, somewhere. I don't know how much you understand of what is happening. I don't know if you feel the pain of it. If you do, try to understand why we are doing it."

* * *

She couldn't wait as she looked wistfully out of the window.

"Impatient, Louella?" Barnabas asked gently behind her.

"It is only a few days more, and I will be back with Willie."

"Can you stand waiting?"

"Would it be so terrible if I went to him a few days before?"

"Yes. I want Willie to know that he can go the distance. That he can do whatever needs to be done without help."

"For his sake?"

"For yours too."

Louella moved away from the window and sat by the fireplace "Are you sure that you'll let me go?"

"Kidnapping is an embittering experience. I don't want to repeat it."

"But who'll take care of you? Phillip is still in Wyncliffe. Amy has gone. There will be no one left here."

"I can get another housekeeper."

"A housekeeper? Is that all I mean to you?"

"You are also a person who I like very much. And the wife of my best friend."

"And if I wanted to stay with you?"

"What for?"

"In a way I like you."

Barnabas sighed. "So you caught it too."

"Caught what?"

"You have fallen a bit in love with me. Just a little bit. Do you remember what I said when you caught me and Tammy? There is a certain erotic element in my biting. I have learned not to pay attention to it, but I can't expect you to do the same.." he kissed her forehead tenderly "So you are a bit in love with me. Just a little bit, no more. Not enough to throw away what you have to chase a pipe dream. Willie's the one you love, and he loves you...And while he might have problems, he's doing his best to deserve you."

* * *

Derek hugged himself. Was there any way that he could sever his link with Phillip Todd? There wasn't a night where the memory of Chris' hands or that bottle failed to reach him.

Barnabas would know how to do it. He had probably run into the same problem, and found a way out.

But how to explain to Barnabas his link with Phillip? Could he tell Barnabas that Nicholas Blair had ordered him to bite Phillip, and he had done so? Distress rose in him. He shivered knowing it was useless to fight it. Phillip was reliving that day, detail by detail. he closed his fists and ground his teeth. Somehow he managed to shut out the specifics of it, but that didn't help. He knew what they were. He knew them only too well.

"Are you sick?" Nicholas asked.

"Phillip Todd" Derek answered through clenched teeth.

"You think that he might be recovering? Getting his memory back?"

He didn't need an answer to that. Just by looking at Derek's face he knew that Phillip would remain in Wyncliffe for a long time.

"He's... still the same."

"Good" Nicholas took out the stone. "Get Roger here."

"Again? His hands haven't healed yet."

"Bring him here and don't argue."

Derek shivered again. Phillip's screams filled him. And now it would be Roger's pain. The scarring skin, the bleeding, the blood sizzling in the heat...

"Go bring Roger!" Nicholas commanded him.

Derek got up unhappily "I don't know if I can."

"Derek! Look at me!"

Derek obeyed, miserably. Maybe he was pushing him too hard, Nicholas thought. If he did, he might break free of his control, as Barnabas had done in 1970."

"Why don't you want to do it?"

"It hurts."

"What hurts? Roger?"

"Yes. And Phillip Todd. I don't want to know anymore what Tom did to him! I want that to stop!"

"It can be stopped."

"Can it?"

"Yes. Bring Roger here and when we are done, I'll show you how."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The crystal glowed in Roger's hands.

"I don't understand why we have to do this again." Derek complained. "she is already pregnant."

"We have to make sure of certain things." Vicky said softly.

Roger moaned in pain.

"Try to bear it." Derek put his hand on Roger's shoulder, then looked at Nicholas "For how much longer do we have to put him through this?"

"I didn't know you liked Roger."

"I don't. But this is inhuman."

* * *

"Kitty, come here, kitty." Barnabas tried to coax the black cat from the upper shelf were it moved dangerously among several breakable objects.

And another was clawing at his pants' leg, trying to get his attention."

"They are quite grown, aren't they?" Iris asked as she picked up still another cat. "You should take them to the vet for fixing."

"I already got an appointment for that."

The cat on the top shelf stood at the edge, considering whether to jump or not.

"Kitty?" Barnabas repeated.

The cat watched him with inscrutable eyes.

"Come, kitty, come." Iris coaxed him.

The cat jumped and landed on Barnabas' shoulder.

"There, that's a nice kitty." he cradled it, pleased, as it snuggled up and purred.

"You better break him of the habit of going there. That or keep all fragile ornaments under lock and key."

"If you find a way to teach a cat anything, let me know."

* * *

Roxanne faced the steely eyes that Megan turned on her.

"Why did you come?" she asked.

"Because I want the whole story, Roxanne. We want to know everything that is going on."

"I have told you already."

"Except the parts that you didn't. If you know what Vicky Winters and Nicholas Blair are doing, and who is the father of Carolyn's child, why aren't you doing anything?"

"We don't have Chris back yet."

"We can use David and Sandy. I trained Chris, I can train them."

"There are other considerations."

"What other considerations?"

"We need to find the other girl."

"What other girl?

"Surely you don't think that Carolyn is the only one they picked for their eugenics experiment? Carolyn might well be just a decoy for the real one. Same as last time... It was just that something happened to the other girl then."

"What happened to her?"

"An unfortunate accident. She lived, but she can never have children now."

Megan thought that she knew now what Third World people caught between the CIA and the KGB must feel...

"Who are you working for?"

"You would not know them. Suffice to say that they want the Leviathan stopped, and they mean us no harm as a species, though quite willing to remove inconvenient individuals."

"And what are your plans for Carolyn?"

"We hope to sterilize her. Or kill her, if that becomes too complicated."

"Is that why you came here in 1970? To finish Carolyn off?"

"No. There was no need by then."

"But if it came as a byproduct of brining in that time staircase from another Parallel Time, then so much the better?"

Roxanne looked shaken "How did...?"

"Find out? Easy. All I had to do was ask Barnabas some questions, and then check his answers with the historical record.."

"We did not meant to destroy the family. It was part of a chess game between the Leviathan and us. Barnabas had to get some things for us in that parallel reality, and not be aware of what he was bringing back...Also they had to secure me to bring me to the present... Barnabas did bring what we needed. Actually it was Professor Stokes, some curious artifact that he found... And of which we relieved him as he traveled in the staircase. It was a complicated move, but it worked."

"How about Barnabas?

"What about him?"

What body is he wearing now? The 1970 body he left behind, of the 1840 he brought back?"

"The 1970 body, of course. He could not keep that other body. He might tap into some memories he was not meant to have. In that Parallel Time the witch who cursed him was Nathalie du Pres, who had her own agenda with her niece Josette - who was not as innocent as she seemed. As for their Angelique, she went to England to escape Josette, as she was pregnant with Barnabas' child."

"But our Angelique"

"We arranged a time ripple to take her to that Parallel 1840. She did not realize it, as Collinwood looked very much the same, and there was a vampire chained in the coffin there too..."

"And Julia's headstone, was that a prop too?"

"Yes, it was a prop, to convince them that it was their own timeline."

"And that's why Barnabas reverted when he came back."

"He returned to a cursed body. The other Barnabas got to enjoy a normal existence. Or some such. I do not know what happened to him. And we gave our Barnabas a few curse free days so that he would not get suspicious."

'And you went through all that trouble for some artifact."

"That Quentin fellow was most ingenious with his inventions, and we put what Stokes brought with him to good use. Also, the destruction of Collinwood served to convince the Leviathan that we had taken the bait of Carolyn and stopped looking for the other girl."

"What about Phillip?"

"Phillip was held prisoner by them and escaped. He doesn't' remember what happened to him, and they arranged for Tom's attack to keep him from remembering more. Just as they arranged for Tom to possess Chris to get rid of a dangerous werewolf in a way that no one would suspect their hand."

"Well," Megan said. "It seems that I have more than one account to settle with them. And next time do not feed me information with an eyedropper."

* * *

It was cold. Carolyn huddled herself under the blankets, but it was not enough. She wasn't awake enough to get up and look for another blanket. She just stayed there waiting...

Pregnancy did these things to you. That's what Dr. Taft said, and not to worry. but Taft was not the one hurting...

The air over her felt heavy and strange. She turned he head and saw a phosphorescent glow near the ceiling.

She lifted her head, perplexed. The glow intensified and then Jeb's head was in the middle of it.

"Jeb!" she said, extending her arms.

Jeb's expression was cold, distant. He moved to her side and laid his hands on her swelling abdomen.

"You take good care of this child. Carolyn." he said, remotely "it is going to be a boy and strong. Very strong."

"Jeb!" she tried to hold his hand.

"I will help it to be strong. Just let me." He pushed his hands on her abdomen, hard.

"Jeb!" she complained "you are hurting me!"

He continued pushing, even as she tried to pull away his hands. She caught his wrists, and they were burning.

"No! It hurts! Please, Jeb! Let me go!"

There were soft scurrying steps and Vicky was now by her side.

"Vicky, help me!"

Vicky put one hand over Carolyn's mouth, and pinioned Carolyn's arms with the other. And Jeb's burning hands kept pushing, his fingertips searching for the child growing within Carolyn's flesh.

"You are going to be born." Jeb spoke to the child "And I'll make sure you will be strong."

The child' body twisted, seeking the prying fingers, gathering strength from them.

Carolyn twisted, tried to escape Vicky's hands, to free herself from the pain...

..."Wake up! Wake up!" she felt herself being shaken.

And Vicky was now hovering over her.

"You had a nightmare, Carolyn" Vicky said, helping Carolyn to sit up. "I was worried for you.,"

Carolyn looked at her angrily "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Vicky looked innocently at her "It was only a dream, Carolyn, only a dream."

* * *

The tie felt uncomfortable, but Willie steeled himself to endure it. Today was the great occasion and getting Louella back was worth putting up with the inconvenience.

He rapped nervously on Barnabas' door. What if Louella didn't want him back?

But as soon as she opened the door and smiled at him, his doubts disappeared. They fell on each other's arms and kissed, right on the doorstep.

"You want me back, baby?" Willie asked as soon as he got his breath back.

"I missed you." she looked at him "you put on the tie for me?"

"I thought that the occasion deserved it."

"Come in, and tell me about it."

She gave him a cup of coffee "Did you miss me?" she asked.

"Yes" he gulped "enough to start me thinking."

"Thinking about what?" she took his hand.

"What Barnabas had said to me. He was right on target. I didn't mean to hit you, and I was sorry afterwards, but I couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't happen again. The next time I got down on the dumps, or angry, I might take it out on you. I have had several sessions with Julia and she helped me understand myself. I want a family, Lou. Children. But now while I can be a danger to you or them. My father used me as a punching bag, and as Barnabas said, that makes me a bad risk as a husband and a father..."

"But you are all right now."

"No. Not yet." he sighed. "But I am getting there. I am still an outpatient with Julia and it will be a while until she gives me a clean bill of health."

"How long?"

"She estimates six moths to a year."

"That long?"

"Lou, if you move back with me, I can't guarantee that I won't lose my head again. But this time I will be on guard against it, and if it happens, you can move in with Barnabas again."

The creaking door from the library told them that Barnabas was up and watching them.

"Welcome back, Willie." he said.

"Barnabas, er..." Willie was unwilling to let go of Louella, even to talk with Barnabas.

"You two haven't finished talking, is that it?"

"Yes."

"Well, I waited this long for you. I guess I can wait a little longer. I am going to see Redwolf. If you want me, you can reach me there."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

He had been impatient with Redwolf, Barnabas realized. He hadn't paid much attention to the last list of grievances and demands. Of course, with Redwolf, you had to take those with a grain of salt. If you did not watch Redwolf, he could bargain the clothes off your back.

But that wasn't the reason who he had been so impatient. It was Willie, who had not yet talked to him.

He knew that Willie had more important business to attend to. Louella had a right to his undivided attention now.

But still, the reality of it...

He didn't want to lose Willie. Not after what the two of them had gone through. They knew the worst about each other and could live with it. He couldn't say the same of anyone else. Julia... with Julia it had been different. There had been love at first, and then bitterness. And the others, the others who didn't know him so well as Willie, never could...

He loved Willie. Willie had chosen to look upon him as father, and he had chosen to look upon Willie as a son.

But sons eventually move away to start families of their own...

There was a soft rap on the door. Enough to tell him that Willie had come at last.

"Sorry it took so long" Willie said.

"Don't apologize. You took as long as you needed. I imagine that the two of you had plenty to talk about."

"Yes. We had" Willie gulped. "We decided to give it another try."

"Good for you."

"And I am now a patient of Julia's She says that with her help I will be able to deal with my feelings without having to hit Louella Or anybody else."

"It isn't going to be easy for you. But you will make it."

"I hope I do. I want children and I don't want this hanging over my head."

Barnabas nodded to that.

"What about you?" Willie said with concern.

"About me?"

"Are you going to be all right?"

"Why shouldn't I? Louella's a good housekeeper and I like having her around, but I won't be heartbroken if she goes off with you."

"This isn't what I meant."

Barnabas bit his lip. Could he talk about it without making him guilty for preferring his wife to him?"

"I missed you, Willie, this past month. But I found out that I could still live with your absence."

Willie nodded. His face had subtly changed since he had seen him last. Barnabas studied the face, fondly.

"I think that being cut off from me did you good." he continued "Like it or not, you had become too dependent on me. You have gotten over it now, and I like the change."

"I see" Willie pulled out a chair and sat down "then you won't mind if I tell you something?"

"Not at all." he repressed a sigh as he realized what Willie would say.

"As you said, I had become dependent on you. It wasn't only that I fancied myself as your son. I fancied myself a child. I don't think that you would have minded an adult son."

"No, I would not."

"I have come a long way, but I still got a lot of growing up to do."

"And you want to make sure that you don't become dependent on me again?" Barnabas finished the thought for him.

Willie looked up at him in surprise "You know?"

"I have been doing some thinking, too. I had plenty of opportunity for it."

"So you won't mind...?"

"If you don't see me so often? No. I will miss you, but I can live with it."

Willie got up and shook Barnabas' hand. "So it's all right with you?"

"Yes. Just drop in once in a while to let me know how you are doing."

* * *

Julia looked a the reclining body with dismay. How much longer did she have to do this? Barnabas was right. It was just torture, pure and simple.

It might be for Chris' benefit, but still she had no wish to see again the body arching in pain, she didn't want to hear any more muffled screams. She didn't care to see Roxanne Drew again...

But Roxanne was there, urging her on to another session.

She looked at Chris. It only it were Chris... If she had been looking at Chris' eyes, she would be free of this.

But those were not Chris' eyes. They were Tom's. And nothing short of what she was doing would set Chris free.

Roxanne threw the switch and Julia looked away.

"Keep looking at him, doctor." Roxanne said. "we have to know when Tom leaves."

The body stiffened in pain, as it always did. The muffled screams came, and the eyes rolled upward, showing the whites.

Julia watched impotently. She couldn't stand this any longer...

Then the current stopped. The body relaxed and the defiant stare returned to Tom's eyes.

"Not today, it seems." Julia said.

Then Roxanne threw the switch again. There was a look of outraged surprise in Tom's eyes before the pain claimed all his consciousness.

"Roxanne!" Julia protested.

A mist was now coming out of the body from the ears, the nose, and the eyes.

"We finally did it." Roxanne said as she raised the voltage to speed up Tom's exit.

Julia raced to Chris' side, hoping that the body wasn't too damaged. She could see Tom take shape slowly by Chris' side. Quickly, Julia pulled out her protective amulet and faced him.

Tom was now free of Chris' tortured body. He could not reenter it without excruciating pain. He could not fight Julia.

Julia quickly sealed all of Chris bodily openings to keep Tom from entering again, the nodded to Roxanne to turn off the current.

The body relaxed, and this time, when the eyes came back to normal, they were Chris' eyes.

Tom stared at them with hatred. He could not enter Chris again. He couldn't touch Julia, and Roxanne was too formidable to try anything on her.

Then Julia read the service for exorcism.

* * *

Roger's palms were a crisscross of scars and burns. It was a wonder that there was still skin on them.

"Why do we have to do it?" Roger asked plaintively while Derek tried to salve the worst of his wounds.

Derek sensed that Roger was straining to free himself of his mental hold. Maybe he should bite him again...

He didn't. Anyone as abused as Roger had a right to gripe. Sure, was a nut with homicidal tendencies. Still, that was no reason to abuse him so.

"We are doing this for Carolyn, aren't we?" Roger insisted "we are protecting her."

Derek nodded. That was what Nicholas had told him. Or rather, that they were protecting Carolyn's child. The two were not the same...

"Maybe we should do something about Quentin."

"Quentin?"

"Billy Graham framed Nixon. And Quentin has not yet broken free of those people."

Derek managed not to look startled.

"They want to do to Carolyn what they did to Nixon. I can fee that she is in danger."

"I know that."

"This hurts" Roger flinched as Derek touched one of his burns, more painfully that he meant to. "But if that was we can help Carolyn, it is worth it."

* * *

Vicky chewed her fingernails slowly.

"We cannot go on like this." she said, more to herself than to Nicholas "up to now she forgets about her "nightmares". But if she were to realize that it is always the same one, she might know the truth about it. And even is she doesn't remember, if she keeps having them night after nigh, she'll start asking questions. She's not stupid. She already thinks that her pains are too strong for a normal pregnancy."

"Her doctor is under control. I sent Derek to him."

"She can switch doctors. And she might do it too fast for you to fix it."

"So what we can do?"

"We could have the child take over the body."

Nicholas looked startled "the child?" he said with astonishment.

"His personality is strong enough to handle it."

"But how? Who could help us?"

"We have Roger, Derek, and Taft. Surely that should be enough."

Nicholas shook his head "Derek is breaking free of me. I can feel it."

"So let's use him one last time, and then wipe his memory. Keep enough control to have him giving innocuous reports to the sheriff. Do the same with Roger. As for Taft, you can handle him yourself."

* * *

"That was Roxanne" Sebastian said, after he hung up the phone "she wanted to know how you were doing.?"

"What did you tell her?" Angelique asked.

"I did not mention your scrying. For some reason this upsets her. I cannot understand why. She should be glad you are keeping tabs on what the enemy is doing."

"Thanks. I know that it wasn't easy for you to lie to her."

"I am afraid." Sebastian admitted.

"You are right in being afraid. This is a very dangerous thing, with dangerous people...if they are people at all."

"No." Sebastian shook his head "I am afraid of Roxanne."

"You fear her?"

"I was never afraid of her before. When she hurt Maggie I was angry, but not afraid. But now... Why does she still insist that I be mean to you? Sure, she has past grievances, but you are an ally. It weakens her to seek revenge... She seems to be out of control. And she seems to be a stranger ..."

"She has changed, hasn't she?"

"Yes. When she started with the chains, and the collar, I thought that she was angry with you, but that it would pass, and would go back to be the Roxie I knew. But she just stayed this way...I can get glimpses of the old Roxie, but most of the time she seems a cruel stranger..."

"She needs to be ruthless to face the enemy we are facing. And when you embrace ruthlessness it is difficult to go back...I know. But I know that it can be done, if someone believes in you."

"Thanks. I'll try to remember that."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Megan?" Chris said, trying to rise from his bed.

"Just stay there" Megan restrained him. "you need the rest. How are you feeling?"

"Still groggy" he admitted, then shuddered "and I keep thinking that he might come back."

"Julia says that you re safe."

"What did he do?" Chris asked, shaking "I have to know."

"He did not kill anyone. He hurt some people, but they will recover."

"Thank God" Chris said with relief, then added "But Angelique, he did kill her..."

Megan pulled Chris close "Chris, Angelique isn't dead. But I want everyone to believe she is. So don't mention Angelique again. That's an order."

"You give me orders?"

"Well, you work for me."

"You fired me."

"I fired Tom, not you. The moment I knew what happened I put you back in the payroll. I am paying for your stay here, and this will count as sick leave. Also, Joe arranged for someone to take care of your chickens."

"Why did you do that?: Chris was astonished.

"Because I should have known that something had happened to you. I don't like being played for a fool, by your brother, or anyone else."

"My brother." Chris said bitterly "You know why he wanted my body, what he wanted to do with it? We grew up together, people mistook us for each other all the time. We used to be so close. But somehow he grew up all twisted inside and..."

Megan nodded at that.

"Take it easy" she said "don't strain yourself. I understand that the method they used to get him out of you was rather rough."

"It was. But worth it. I will tell Barnabas that. He objected to it."

Megan shook her head. "You will not tell him anything."

"Why?"

"For the same reason I don't want known that Angelique is still alive."

"You in the middle of an operation?"

"Right. You know how easily he can screw up the works without meaning to."

"Right. What about Amy?"

"She's on the campaign trail working for John Anderson, so that problem is solved. Chris." she anticipated his objection. "We are in the middle of a very dangerous operation. Do you know how I always threaten Barnabas with serious bodily harm if he ever screws up an operation of mine?" Well, if he screws this one up, neither he or I will be alive for that threat to have any meaning. And the farthest Amy is from here, the safer she will be. If we make it, you will see Amy again. If not, it won't matter."

* * *

Doctor Vernon Taft paced uneasily. There was something wrong in what he was about to do. Something against all medical ethics.

"Are you sure we have to do it for the child's sake?" he asked Derek.

"Yes." Derek nodded unhappily. that much had Nicholas told him. But how much truth was in it? He shook his head, as if straining against a bridle. It was no use. Nicholas had him, and he had not choice but to bring Taft and Roger there, for whatever purposes Nicholas had chosen.

"Don't you stay down there." Nicholas said from the top of the stairs. "Come up here."

Taft sighed. What was it that they were supposed to do, anyway? He scratched his throat, wishing that the wounds that Derek had put there vanished and that he didn't have to do this.

"Don't I want it too, Doctor?" Pearce thought unhappily. "but I have as little choice as yourself."

Roger muttered something, showing his bandaged hands.

"Is Quentin away?" Nicholas asked.

"Yes. I made sure of that.". Roger said "he's with a girl, of course."

Derek realized that Roger was the only one who believed, but some logic of his, that what they were about was for Carolyn's benefit. Neither Nicholas nor Vicky pretended it anymore. As for him... he had to do what Nicholas wanted.

There should be a way to break free, to prevent this from happening. Whatever Carolyn had done, she didn't deserve this.

From downstairs they heard the front door being opened. Carolyn was home. Nicholas wished for a drink, but accepted the fact the would not have one until he was done with the bitch. Tomorrow he would drink as much as he wanted. He'd drink Carolyn's best liquor and she wouldn't be able to say anything about it.

Vicky received Carolyn.

"Doctor Taft is here." she said softly "he wants to see you."

"Taft?" Carolyn put her hands defensively over her abdomen. "is anything wrong?"

"He didn't say. Only that he wants to talk to you."

Carolyn raced upstairs, followed by Vicky.

"Here she comes" commented Nicholas "you know what comes next"

"Do we have to?"

"Don't you dare defy me."

Pearce moved his eyes away. He looked at Roger, at Taft. Then at Roger again. Did they have to be there? Wouldn't he and Nicholas be enough for the dirty work?

Nicholas licked his lips. After long months of humiliation, of putting up with her tempter tantrums, he was finally going to tell her what he thought of her. And she wouldn't be able to do a thing about it afterwards.

There wouldn't even be a Carolyn Collins anymore.

The door opened.

"Doctor Taft? Carolyn came in, out of breath "Why are you...?"

She couldn't finish. Roger and Derek caught one of her arms each and held her tightly while Vicky gagged her.

Carolyn twisted and kicked at them, but could not free herself.

Nicholas moved to her and put his hands to her waist. "Go ahead, Mrs. Collins. Shout at me. Fire me. Tell me that I am only a good-for-nothing, disgusting drunk. Tell me that I am a loser and that I can't get anything right."

He slid his hands under her clothes and began pulling her skirt down.

"Enough of that." Vicky grumbled "Just get her to lie down and leave her abdomen exposed."

"Carolyn" Roger said placatingly "it is for your own good. We have to do it to protect you."

Nicholas pulled her skirt down until her abdomen was bared "You never thought I'd have the nerve to do this." he said "you thought that because you had all that money you could treat me like dirt, and that I'd put up with it."

They forced her to lie down on top of then table, and each of her limbs was tied to it."

"Don't tie her too tightly" Vicky said.

"Why not?"

"The child does not want rope burns."

Once Carolyn was secured, Taft stepped in with his stethoscope. He bit his lips trying to resist his orders, but all he could do was check on the 'child' and report it.

"This is interesting" Nicholas yanked at Carolyn's hair "aren't you curious as to what it is that we are doing?"

"What's he doing?" Roger asked, alarmed.

"It is all right. Dr. Taft knows what he is doing " Derek tried to reassure Roger.

"But Nicholas..."

"Nicholas is drunk."

He shielded Carolyn from Roger's eyes with his body. What were they doing to Carolyn? What were they forcing him to go along with? Why did Nicholas have power over him?

"Something is wrong!" Roger protested.

Derek shook. How could he force Roger to go along with that? How, when he himself wanted out? He wished he could pick up Nicholas by the scruff of the neck and throw him out the window. Then release Carolyn and get the Hell out of this madhouse...

But he couldn't.

"Look into my eyes, Roger" he said, wearily. He couldn't help Carolyn, but he could make it less painful for Roger.

He forced Roger into a deep sleep. Whatever was now done to Carolyn, Roger would not be a party to it.

:"Why did you do that?" Nicholas asked angrily.

"I couldn't control him any longer" Derek said "this way, he won't make trouble for us."

"We don't need him." Vicky said "the four of us is enough."

Nicholas grumbled. He had wanted to have Carolyn watch how her beloved uncle conspired to destroy her.

But the cold stare Vicky gave him prevented him from saying more. Instead he took out his stone and placed it on top of Carolyn's exposed abdomen, over the spot that Taft said the child's head was.

They joined hands, the four of them, and Vicky began to chant.

"Tekeli-li Tekeli-li" Vicky sang

"Tekeli-li Teleli-li" Taft, Nicholas and Derek answered her.

"Ia Yaggoth Ia R'lyeh"

"Fthagn Yig"

"Tekeli-li Teleli-li"

"Phnglui mwglnaf Cthulhu R'lyeh fthagn"

Carolyn writhed. What were they doing? How did they dare to do this?

If she ever got loose, she'd make them pay.

But she could not free herself. Fear mounted as the stone that lay in her bare skin began to heat up.

The pain grew. She tried to move, to shake the stone off, She screamed, but only painful grunts came from her throat.

And the pain kept on climbing, in spite of all her twisting and fighting. She was on fire. There was a knife cutting through her right to her spine.,

The screams came, only to be stifled by the gag. There was nothing but her pain. Somewhere she heard Vicky's chant and saw the four faces looking down at her.

Then her eyes clouded and there was a writhing inside her.

For how long would the burning go on?

The hissing chant went on and on, and as it did, the pain grew worse and worse.

She could not stand it, not anymore. but she had to. And worse.

There were now five heads bending down over her. Vicky, Doctor Taft, Nicholas, Derek, and the other...

The other was not a human head.

The reptile advanced, opening its mouth, exposing the needle sharp teeth, the slim tongue, and the dark entrance of its throat.

She couldn't escape. She had to see it come closer, opening its mouth wider and wider until she would fall easily into the tunnel behind its mouth.

It was going to swallow her whole.

Barnabas's words came back to her. What had he said? That she may be attracting trouble to herself, worse than this place had already known?

Then her head was in the reptile's mouth and she couldn't' see anymore.

...Could not feel nor think anymore...

Vicky looked at Carolyn. In her eyes she saw none of the fear nor outrage that had been there a few moments ago. Those were cold, self-assured eyes that looked at her.

"We can release her now." she told Nicholas "the child is now in control of the body."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Barnabas whistled the tune of "Mack the Knife" softly. Things were going smoothly for a change. Julia had told him that Eileen would soon be discharged. and Redwolf had stopped complaining...

On the other hand, maybe that was ominous. Maybe Xavier was about to fire him. Well, he could not bring himself to care about it.

If only Phillip would get better.

He knew that he wasn't getting any better. And Julia did not want him to handle the case.

But it made no senses. Granted that he had misjudged badly in sending Phillip to play the sax in public. But still there were things that he could do. If Julia's attempt at therapy was successful, she would have a case in keeping him away. But she was stuck, and he could help her.

Yet she stubbornly refused to let him help in any way.

Then there was a knock at the door, and he had to abandon his musings.

For a few seconds he waited for somebody to open the door. Louella, Phillip, anybody. Then he remembered that there was no one with him and that he had to learn to do those little chores by himself. With a sight, he got up and went to the door.

It was Frank Torrance, looking haggard.

"Anything wrong? he asked.

Frank nodded as he let him inside.

"You want anything? Some brandy?"

"No." Frank said vehemently "If I wanted booze I'd be in the Blue Whale. And the other bars. I am making the rounds lately, you know?"

Making the rounds. Barnabas did not need much imagination to know what me meant. "Your drinking is getting out of control?"

"Yes. Yesterday at the office I couldn't wait to finish so I could go out and have a stiff one." he waited for Barnabas' reaction. "And thinking about the stuff is one of the danger signs.

Barnabas nodded.

"So I calculated how many hours I spent in bars. Sure, I have excuses for it. This town does not have much in the way of entertainment. It is easier to have a social life in the bars. But when you begin swallowing booze like water...

"And you want me to help you?"

"No. I just want to talk to you... about her. About Angelique."

"You blame yourself for what happened to her?" Barnabas asked gently.

"It was my fault."

"Tom Jennings killed her."

"I still believe it was my fault. She caught me and Megan together in bed. That's why she tried to go away. That's why she wasn't missed."

"It wasn't because of you. It was because of me. We had a bit argument, she and I. Real bad. I got close to forcing liquor down her throat" he looked away, wondering if he would tell the rest of it. "I knew that she was a former alcoholic. Or close enough to it. Then I told her to leave Collinsport and forget that I ever existed. If someone set her up for Tom Jennings, it was me."

"It started with me. I never gave her what she wanted. That's why she kept after you."

"Frank" Barnabas laid his hand on the other man's arm. "you could not have known what would happen. Nobody did. If we had, we would have done something about Tom Jennings."

"I arranged for her to catch me and Megan in bed. I wanted to hurt her. And because of that..."

"Frank, don't blame yourself for more than you are actually responsible. You played a mean trick on her. But you didn't deliver her to Tom Jennings. She was on his hit list, and even without your help, or mine, he would have managed to get to her."

Frank shook his head, unconvinced.

* * *

"Do you think that Chris will keep quiet?" Roxanne asked Megan.

"I ordered him to. He has too much sense to disobey a direct order from me."

"I would like to do more work with him." Julia ventured.

"Later, when this thing is over. If it is over." Megan shrugged "If we make it, you can analyze him at your leisure. If not..."

"Do you think that he could begin to give some basic training to David and Sandy?"

"He could."

"What about Barnabas?" Megan asked pointedly.

"What has Barnabas got to do with it?"

"You still want to keep him out of it?"

"You said yourself that he isn't reliable."

"But he knows enough to keep out of the way when told to do so."

"I don't want him involved."

"Then you can't have David and Sandy."

"Why?"

"Because he's bitten both of them, and if you train them as you want, he'll know."

"I just don't want him."

"Why? Because he hurt you once and you can't forgive him?"

"He didn't just hurt me. He ruined my life."

"He ruined mine, too. But that's no reason not to have a working relationship with him. I do."

"I can't forgive him."

"Then don't. But leave your personal feelings out of it until the job is done. Can you behave like a professional in this one?"

"I don't want Barnabas and it is final."

* * *

Delia found Derek curled up on the bed.

"You got here early." she said, patting him on the cheek.

"Delia" he whined 'Please"

"What's wrong?"

"Don't do... don't do anything to me tonight. Just le me be."

"What happened to you?"

"I...I don't know. I feel like crying and I don't know why."

"Is it me? Have I done anything?"

Derek shook his head "it isn't you."

"It is." Delia closed her fists. "I knew it would come to this. I have these... tastes. I should stick to people with similar...inclinations. But there aren't that many SM freaks in this town. You didn't complain much, so I took it for granted that you didn't mind."

"I don't...it has nothing to do with you."

"What else could it be?"

"I... I don't know... Delia, please, hold me..."

"I never wanted to hurt you."

"Hold me, please. If feels so... lonely."

Delia extended her hands tentatively "You don't mind my touching you?"

"Just hold me."

He rested his head on her lap while her hands ran soothingly over his back.

"I am sorry" he managed to say "I didn't mean..."

He put his arms around her waist, drawing her closer still.. "I need you, Delia."

"I need you too. Not just for...this."

She took his chin in her hand and made him look up. There was pain in his eyes and it hurt her to see them. SM was supposed to be fun. It was not meant to hurt people for real... had she overstepped? She did not dare to kiss him, for then she would be pushing her tongue into his mouth and then it would all start again...

What could have hurt him so? If it was not her, then what?

* * *

It was dark.

That was all she could know. It was dark and she was lost.

But where was she? How had she gotten there?

She tried to push but there was nothing to push against. She had no body of her own to push with...

Who was she?

Then she remembered. Taft, Nicholas, Derek, Vicky, Uncle Roger... the burning while she was tied to the table. The snake's mouth opening over her head.

It couldn't be true! It couldn't!

She screamed, but had no mouth, no lungs, no way to make a sound. There was no exit, no way to escape...

Then unconsciousness claimed her.

* * *

Amy wondered if there was such a condition as a telephone finger. She certainly was getting it. Nobody had told her that a political campaign would be like this...

"Hey, Amy!" Burt said to her. "There is a reporter here. Says she knows you."

"She knows me?" Amy looked up and met Oriana's eyes.

"Yes. I do know her."

"You want to talk to her?"

"Yes."

They embraced effusively "You look very well, Amy." Oriana said.

"Much better than I did in Collinsport? I bet." Amy laughed. "Tell me, when you saw me in the Old House, did you think I would end up here?"

"No." Oriana acknowledged "but then, the first time I saw Barnabas in the Old House I never expected him to turn the way he did. Is he here, too, by any chance?"

"No. He stayed at Collinsport. He likes Anderson, but is afraid that he might bring about a Reagan win. As far as he is concerned, we are stuck with Carter."

"Well, I think you candidate has a chance." Oriana laughed "But that might be wishful thinking of my part. If he wins, I get the While House beat, while if he loses, it is back to the daily grind."

"Then publish glowing reports."

"I will. How about the rest there?"

"Chris is still in Wyncliffe" Amy said softly "Barnabas says that it is only a question of time until he is good as new."

"Good! And Barnabas, is he back with Iris, by any chance?"

"Yes, they are giving it another try."

"Rats!"

"You have the hots for him?"

"Yes. Just my luck. Well, there are other men in the world... None like him, though..."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Anselm Trask looked perfunctorily at the fabric.

"Are you shopping now, Reverend?" Iris asked him.

"Donna's busy with the choir. And I thought she might like a surprise."

"Well, it is good that men know how to do these things. They can't go on depending on women forever... But you are not really shopping, are you?"

Anselm sighed. "You are right. Actually I wanted an opportunity to talk with you."

"Fine with me." Iris shrugged "What do you want to talk about?"

"You don't come to church anymore. Not for a long time."

"Not since I started going to bed with Barnabas. Did I shock you, Reverend?"

"I don't shock easily. But why would that keep you away?"

"Well, it would seem obvious."

"Does he object to your coming? I don't see how. After all, he's given talks to our groups."

"It isn't him. Nor you, Reverend."

"So what is it?"

"They don't like me."

"How can you say that?"

"Look at the wall." she pointed to it. "how do you think those gouges got there?"

"The riot?"

"Of course."

"And you can't forgive them?"

"You don't know the way they look at me, or haven't you noticed?"

"Maybe what you see isn't there."

"It is there. I have seen it."

"You want to see it. Because of your guilt."

"Guilt? Me? For what? Having a lover?"

"No, for being unable to forgive them."

Iris snorted. "That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!"

"Is it? I wonder."

* * *

Phillip beat his head against the padded wall, screaming to keep from hearing Tom's laughter.

"Tell them about the bottle" Tom said "Tell them what I did to you."

"No! No!"

He screamed again. He knew that his scream were useless. Tom would do with him as he wanted. And now everybody would see it happen.

He beat his head against the padding again, and bit his lips until they bled.

Tom was now in front of him, sneering, a bottle in his hands.

"Well, Phillip, are you ready?"

Barnabas from the open door saw Phillip twisting on the floor, still screaming.

"It is all right, Phillip" he took him by the arms. "it is only a bad dream."

Phillip screamed again.

"No one is going to hurt you now."

But Phillip would not stop screaming, in spite of Barnabas's soothing words. The terror was still in him, and it would not go away.

Barnabas moved Phillip's head so that he could look into his eyes and opened again the link he had with him. It had weakened greatly after all those days without using it, but he managed to make Phillip stop screaming.

"You are going to be all right, now." he said "you are going to sleep again. You area going to have a peaceful dream. You are going to be warm and comfortable. And when you wake up in the morning, you'll feel better."

He tucked Phillip into his bed, feeling angry with himself and with Julia. With her for allowing this to happen wile telling him that everything was under control when it wasn't. And with himself for believing it when he could know the truth just by listening with his mind to Phillip's screams.

* * *

Carolyn filled her hand with salt and ate it greedily.

"Be careful or the servants will notice it." Vicky warned.

"I need the salt."

"I know it. But still you have to be careful as to how you satisfy your requirements."

"Well, if someone sees me, we'll take care of them."

"Yes. We can do it, but it might be difficult. We just let Pearce and Roger out of our control"

"Why would you do a dumb think like that?"

"They would have broken out of it by themselves, just as Barnabas did in 1970. This way, we could wipe their memories."

"Why not just kill them?

Vicky sighed. "That's the kind of stupid thinking that got Jeb Hawkes killed. The difference was that we were supposed to lose him. You are the real thing, baby, and we have to be careful not do draw attention to ourselves in any way.

Carolyn shrugged at that, then her eyes glazed over.

Vicky looked up at her, surprised at her lack of response and then jumped up, catching her by the arm.

"Hold there." she said, looking into the changing eyes. She put her hand on Carolyn's forehead "Go back" she said "Go back inside and don't come back."

Carolyn shivered and then her expression changed again.

"She keeps trying to take over again." Vicky said "We may have to do something about that."

* * *

"How dare you interfere like that?"

"How dare you lie to me like that about him? Barnabas countered bitterly.

"You interfered with Phillip's treatment.."

"What treatment? He still is the same way he was when he had his attack."

"And who caused that attack? Who else but you with your wild theories?"

Barnabas forced himself to be calm. "Julia, I recognize that I was wrong then. But I can help Phillip. I made a mistake with Eileen, but you still let me help her."

"This case is different. I don't want you around Phillip."

"All I did was give him a good night's sleep. I don't see what harm could that do."

"That's your problem, you don't see."

"Julia, you know that whatever treatment you are giving him is not working. Why no let me try?"

"And what you do propose to use instead?"

"What about desensitization training?"

"What's the matter? You through with B.F. Skinner? What will you try next? TA? est?"

"Desensitization training is widely used in Europe."

"But not in my clinic. And not by you."

"I can help Phillip, and you can't. Why be stubborn?"

"Because Phillip is my patient and you are not using him as a guinea pig for your crazy theories. Once is enough."

* * *

Delia's hands twisted the handkerchief while evading Julia's eyes.

"You have a problem with Derek?" Julia asked gently.

Delia nodded. "Do you think I am a pervert?" she said.

"Should I?"

"I have to tie him to the bed and..."

"You are not the only one who does that." Julia smiled slightly. "If you want to shock me, you'll have to tell me something much worse."

"That's the only way I can enjoy sex."

"The only way?"

"I tried the other day. Derek was so distraught. I tried comforting him. He held he, and he...he wanted it. He needed comfort... but I could not...I could not get into it. Unless he is tied up I cannot get aroused..."

"Why was he distraught? You think it is because of your... .practices?"

"He kept insisting that it had nothing to do with me. That it was something else. He felt that something terrible had happened, but did not know what."

Julia tensed up. Both Megan and Roxanne should know of this.

It must be something that Derek had witnessed as a spy. Something that deeply disturbed him. What could it be?

She wanted to question Delia more, but wondered if it was wise. Too many questions and she would get suspicious, and probably start poking by herself - and get herself killed..

Whatever it was, the fact that he did not remember indicated that it was something the Leviathan had done. And, whatever it was, it meant that they had gotten to another stage of the plan. They better hurry up themselves. They better have Chris train David and Sandy as soon as possible.

She would have liked to spend more time with Delia and her sexual dysfunction, explain to her that her problem was not that she liked whips and chains, but that she could not function without them,...

But that might have to wait until this was resolved.

She thought of putting Delia under, but did not think that whatever information was there was worth the risk. It might make more sense putting Derek under and seeing what could be recovered...

* * *

Why couldn't Julia ever listen to him? Why was she stubbornly preventing him to do anything about Phillip?"

Yes. He had placed Phillip there, by his carelessness. But still there was much that he could do. Why would Julia insist so ferociously in keeping him away?

He was interfering with the treatment. But that treatment didn't seem to be working. If it was another patient an she had been stuck as in this case, she would have called him in.

No, Julia's reaction was irrational. There had been too much anger in her, too much defensiveness.. Just like it had been with Chris.

"What had she kept him off? Because what was he doing with Phillip would make him even sicker than what she did with Chris?

And there was an edge in her voice. When Julia sounded like that, she would very soon make a veiled reference to Dave Woodard. She hadn't yet, but it was coming the next time he said anything on the subject.

Maybe what was happening with Phillip was Julia's way of making him pay for it...

No... Julia wouldn't She would not torture Phillip for that. She was too good a doctor.

A doctor who had broken the Hippocratic Oath once...

In spite of himself he had to consider the possibility. Julia had been acting strangely lately. She had been keeping secrets from him. She did make more and more references to... to that...

Suppose it was true, what would he do? Suppose that Julia had a breakdown and was now taking it out on Chris and Phillip?

Then he had to stop her. Both Chris and Phillip were innocent of it and they shouldn't suffer. If Julia still needed to hurt someone, let her hurt him.

But he needed to know first what Julia was hiding...

* * *

"So something happened in Collinwood and Derek witnessed it, is that what you conclude? Megan said to Julia.

"It indicates that something happened. Derek was distressed, but could not say why he was distressed. As if he had been silenced or had his memory erased. But has enough memory to know that he witnessed something that made him very upset."

"That's a stretch, coming only for what his SM addicted girlfriend told you." Roxanne said despectively.

"Well, it is not as if they go around broadcasting their moves." Megan thought for a few moments. "We have to interrogate Derek."

"And have Nicholas know about it?"

"We can use the same lotion you used on me. And have Angelique block any connection with Nicholas.."

"Too much risk, a and no guarantee that we'll learn anything of value."

"I know Derek. He is a small time crook and has no respect for other people's property. But he does not like violence, and does not like hurting people."

"It is because of Phillip?" Roxanne asked "If this works, we can prevent any new reports about Phillip, so you can have him treated by Barnabas."

"I am going to let Barnabas have Phillip, anyway." Julia said.

""You will do no such thing" Roxanne looked at her menacingly.

"We can tell Barnabas enough so that he will not interfered" Megan said. "He knows that interfering with one of my operations can be very painful for him. Just tell him to at least get Phillip to calm down and relax. No need to ask him questions about bottles yet, just take care of the immediate symptoms."

"No!"

"You leave Barnabas out of it, and since no none has told him not to poke his nose into it, he will. He can be very impractical, but he's not an idiot, and can put two and two together. "Megan told Roxanne "And I suspect that the way you have made Julia act has made him realize that things are not as they should be."

"I do not like it."

"Well, it has to be. I will interrogate Derek, on an excuse I am looking for stolen goods. Julia will tell Chris about training David and Sandy. But first we tell Barnabas what's going on."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"So that's the whole story" Megan finished her tale.

Barnabas rose unsteadily "The attack on Phillip was planned by them, too?"

"We are sure of it." Roxanne said quietly "He knows too much and had to be silenced, and this isn't so obvious. Do you remember that he had nightmares about bottles, even before Tom did what the did?

She was right. It fit. Ghastly as the method was, it also had a classic simplicity to it. He remembered all those nightmares of Phillip's all relating to how he had survived his fall off Widow's Hill. All gone now, after Tom's rape.

"About Tom, did they arrange that, too?""

"Yes, They did. A good way of getting rid of the werewolf without attracting suspicion. Tom would end up either locked up or killed and that would be the end of the werewolf threat."

"But there is David and Sandy..."

"And we were all very vocal about they being cured of their affliction, and not leaving Wyncliffe until they did."

"How come David got cursed?"

"That we arranged ourselves. Sandy was a lucky accident." Roxanne said, daring him to complain

"You arranged for David?"

"Not only that. They manipulated you into killing Carl Collins " Megan said.

"Did you?"

"Yes."

"Why? What was he to you?"

"Nothing" Roxanne said coldly. "But his death served its purpose which was to delay you so that you could not keep the werewolf curse coming down to Chris."

Barnabas was aghast "I see very little to choose between you and the Leviathan."

"The choice is not up to you." Roxanne said with contempt. "and before you judge me, remember that you are the one who reduced me to this. You and that bitch Valerie."

"You... you remembered."

"Yes. I have" Roxanne grinned " have you anything to say about the subject?"

"Enough!" Megan interrupted "recriminations will not help us any." she turned to Barnabas. "There is one thing that you must remember about all this. It is an operation of mine. What does it mean?"

"It means that I keep the Hell out of it."

"Good. We are letting you have Phillip. Treat him for the obvious symptoms. Do not ask yet about bottles. "

'Well, in his state mention of bottles will not help him any. It is only when he is stronger that I can start on the subject."

"So, we are agreed.. Go to Phillip, and we will take care of other business."

Barnabas tried to absorb everything that he had been told. The Leviathan. It had not ended with Jeb. It had gone on, more devious, more secret, more convoluted than before. And the Leviathan were not the only ones. Roxanne's unseen Masters...

But he would have Phillip...

He had some idea of what he could do. What he wanted to do. An idea had begun to form...

But that was for later, when he was told he could start looking at the business with the bottle. Now he had to bring some peace to his mind..

He appeared next to Phillip. "You'll be all right, Phillip." he said. "I will make you well."

* * *

Chris was wary of meeting Sandy.

"Are you sure that she will want to see me?"

"She knows that it was Tom who did those things to her, not you." Julia said, encouragingly.

"I don't know. Those things were rather tough...And it was my body that did them. She can't forget than so easily."

"Barnabas has been working with her, and he says that she will be all right."

"It still doesn't...doesn't feel right."

"Trust me, Chris."

Sandy and David seemed relaxed. Roxanne sat at a distance from them, appraising them coldly. Sandy seemed to hold up as well, as she waited to meet her former tormentor. There should be no problem there.

What if there was? Then she'd have to do with only Chris and David. That or somehow force her, thus risking trouble with Barnabas.

Her lips curled She'd like to have a scene with Barnabas. Hurt him through Sandy as he had hurt him through Phillip...

She checked herself. No. Not yet. She had gotten in enough trouble with Phillip already. If Barnabas ever knew what was behind his breakdown, if Megan knew... Megan would be a dangerous enemy... and if she found out.

No, better leave her plans for revenge for afterwards. Then, with the Leviathan out of the way, she'd begin settling old scores.

Chris came in, obviously embarrassed.

"Hello, David, and uh, uh...Mr. Miller."

"Hello, Chris." Sandy got up, smiling. Even if it was a forced smile. She extended her hand towards Chris.

He shook her hand, not fully believing that he could do it. She was still uneasy about facing him, but was bearing up bravely.

"I am sorry... for everything."

"It wasn't you that did that."

"Still, in a way I feel responsible. It was my body, my face."

"Yes. It was." Sandy admitted "but it was not you." she licked her lips "You know that I have the curse, too?"

"Yes. I...I am sorry."

"Don't be. I can deal with it. It was rough at first, being chained in the cellar. It brought too many memories of... of the things Tom did to me. If it hadn't been for Barnabas taking care of me as he did I don't know how I could have stood it. But I did. I can do it now, and not be afraid of it." she smiled, a small, insecure smile. "and I can look at you and remember that you are not your brother."

"Thank you, Mrs. Miller." Chris gulped.

Roxanne cleared her throat, making them turn into her direction.

"Well, that's enough introductions. We are here in business."

They all sat down again, unable to shake off the awe she managed to impose on them.

"How many of you have you heard of the Leviathan?"

"I did." Chris said. "But that is over. The box was smashed and Jeb Hawkes is dead."

"But his widow is very much alive and pregnant..

"Leviathan? What is it?"

"The Leviathan is a reptile race that was here before man. It took refuge in time-hopping to escape the natural cataclysm that destroyed their civilization. They now want the Earth back. And they can only get it by either destroying or enslaving the human race. Lately they have set up a cross-breeding program to make with selected humans. Carolyn Collins is one of the chosen ones, and her child is half-Leviathan.

"But Quentin is the father..." David said.

"The legal, not the biological father." Roxanne paused for effect "Carolyn's child must never be born, or he'll destroy all of us."

"But why call on us?" Sandy asked.

"Because werewolves is what they fear most." David said "I read it in their own book."

Sandy flinched at the words. She had somehow accepted her curse, but still could not adjust to being called a werewolf. It made her feel dirty, alien, as if she was some stranger...

"Right" Roxanne continued. "at this moment they believe that all werewolves are neutralized and at a safe distance. If things go right, they won't learn otherwise until it is too late. I need your cooperation for this. Chris?

"Count me in. I remember them."

"David?"

"The same."

"Sandy?"

"You said that they would kill everybody?"

"Or enslave them."

"And my children too? Yes, they too." Sandy nodded "Count me in, too."

* * *

Derek moaned on the couch.

Megan patted him on the cheek but could not speak the comforting words. He would not be OK. The wound of what he had done to Carolyn, of what he had seen done to her was not an easy one to heal. Even after this was over, it would leave stains on his soul, which would take time to go away.

He never wanted to hurt anyone, and cruelty was foreign to him. But he had been forced into a terrible cruel act, and was unable to repent or atone for it. Part of him would relive it and be unable to change the ending...

The only one capable of changing the ending was herself. So, she had to get back and let Roxanne know what had happened. Let Derek wake up by himself, and seek whatever consolation he could find.

When this is over I will find a way to help him. she promised herself.

* * *

"Are you feeling better today?" Barnabas asked Phillip.

"Yes." Phillip said listlessly At least he had stopped screaming and didn't have to be restrained in a straightjacket anymore. He was calmer, even if he was growing dangerously dependent on Barnabas who was the only one who could provide him with a good night's sleep...

Already he was assuming a fetal posture.

It was time to go to the next stage, if Phillip was ever going to walk out of Wyncliffe on his own.

"Do you want to try something?"

"Something?"

"Something to get you well."

Phillip nodded.

Barnabas helped Phillip to his feet and steered him towards the door.

"No!" Phillip tried to tear himself away "I don't want to go there!"

Barnabas hugged Phillip until he quieted down. "No one will hurt you. If they try, I'll break their arms."

"But why do we have to go there? Why not here?"

"It is nicer there.."

Treatment could not take place in Phillip's room. For it may get rough later on, and if Phillip had a bad reaction he'd get a feeling of safety in his own room, where none of it happened.

Helpless as Phillip was, he had to be an active participant in his own recovery, and that to be given more and more control of his situation as the treatment progressed. And control would begin with his deciding whether or not to go to the treatment room.

Barnabas knew what the last stages would be... might have to be if Roxanne insisted in breaking the barrier to Phillip's memory. He did not relish the thought. But certain things that Roxanne and Julia had said led him to believe that the sooner Phillip recovered his memory the safer he would be. Unpleasant as what he planned to do was, it was preferable to deliver Phillip to Roxanne and her masters' tender mercies...

Phillip went with him to the room he had chosen the night before. It was a little larger than Phillip's own with a large window, a cot, a chair, a small table, and a writing pad with pencil over the table.

Barnabas made Phillip lied own on the cot, watching as he relaxed.

With slow movements, so as not to startle Phillip, Barnabas drew a bottle on the pad.

"Phillip?" he said. "Are you all right?"

"Yes." Phillip answered in a dreamy voice.

"Lift up your head and look at this.

Phillip did, and faced the picture that Barnabas showed him,

His face rearranged itself in panic, but before it reached its final stage, Barnabas tore the sheet into several pieces, crumbled it, and threw it away.

"You see, it is gone. it is destroyed. It cannot hurt you."

"Yes. it is gone." Phillip said with relief.

"You want to see that again?"

Phillip was silent a few moments, pondering it.

"Yes." he finally said. "do it again."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"How's Phillip? Roxanne asked Barnabas.

There was no concern in her voice. Impatience, maybe, not concern.

"He's better. But we better not push him."

"Which means that he's not ready still to tell me what he knows."

"You push him too much and he may end up catatonic."

"We can get information out of catatonics if we have to."

Barnabas shuddered. How they would get that information he'd rather not know.

"I suspect that it would take longer than what I am doing."

"So, is he making progress?"

"He's more calm. He responds well."

"He does not scream at your drawings, you mean?"

"It is the first step."

"Much too slow."

"What is it that you need to find, anyway?

"The location of the Ring of Fire." Roxanne shot quickly back.

"The Ring of Fire?"

"That's the name of the process the Leviathan use when they take over a human's body."

"Like they did to me?"

"You never went through the Ring of Fire. If you did, you'd not have rebelled against them. There wouldn't even be a Barnabas Collins, just an empty shell moved inside by the mind of a centuries old Leviathan. Just the way Vicky is now."

"Vicky?" Barnabas almost shouted this. "Yes, he had suspected something like that. But not so complete..."

"Yes. When she ran away with Peter, they caught her and used her. As for Peter, they just let him hang. He did not matter."

"Is there any hope for Vicky?"

"I do not know of any victim of the Ring of Fire that ever recovered.

No... not Vicky...

"So you see why the Ring has to be destroyed. And Phillip is the one who can tell us how to find it."

* * *

David and Sandy were lying side by side, their eyes closed, as Chris sat by their side, speaking softly.

But it wasn't to David and Sandy that he talked, but to the beasts caged inside them.

He tried to tell them not to be afraid. To trust him. He stroked David's face, who was breathing in and out, his face blank. As blank as he had made his mind to allow Chris to talk to his wolf without interference.

He turned to Sandy. Her face was blank, too. And in both of them he felt the stirring under the surface. The wolves were there, afraid, hurting, lost. And ready to lash out if given half the chance.

He did not know if he had gotten through, yet. And the full moon when he would have to go with them into the cage was only a couple of days away...

* * *

"Breakaway bottles?" Julia studied the bill to see if she should really pay it, or it was just that Barnabas had suddenly become a practical joker.

"I need them for Phillip."

"Phillip?" she paused "Yes, it makes sense. First he gets to tear up your drawings, then he starts smashing bottles themselves.

"So he's gradually losing his fear of them. Eventually he should be able to talk about them without cracking up. And the, doctor, he's all yours."

"It'd better be fast, for his sake."

'Not you too, doctor! Barnabas complained. "It is bad enough that I have to listen to Roxanne on the subject. I am getting results, which is more than you can say."

"Barnabas" she stiffened, knowing that she was fighting Roxanne's hold over her by telling Barnabas the truth. "Roxanne wants to torture Phillip because she knows she can get to you that way. Phillip had a breakdown because she laced his drink with LSD. And she kept tormenting him while he was here, because she knew that you had a link with him, and could hear his screams through your mind."

Julia felled down on her seat, exhausted after her effort to defy Roxanne's will.

"She did that? To Phillip?'

"Please, don't say anything. Specially not to Megan "Julia pleaded.

Barnabas began to protest, but a gesture of her hand silenced him.

"We still got those...creatures as Collinwood and we cannot afford to fight among ourselves. I just wanted you to know that Phillip is in danger. For as long as his secret is locked in his mind, he will be vulnerable. to Roxanne. And she will use it again and again... I am not sure what is more important to her now, whether to stop the Leviathan or to get revenge on you... so, for Phillip's sake, find a quick way to get that memory out. By any means. I will not stop you. I would do it if...she opened her collar showing the old scars... if Roxanne had not gotten to me first."

* * *

Nicholas grumbled as he dug Jason McGuire's grave. It wasn't right. The reason why he had gone into magic was to keep from making acquaintance with shovels and other work implements.

But Vicky wanted it that way, and Vicky was not to be disobeyed.

He wondered if it was worth it. True, he had gotten his revenge on Carolyn. And soon he would be able to collect on Angelique, Barnabas, and Megan. But what was the use? He still would be under Vicky's thumb.

Carolyn was easy to live with, compared to Vicky. He was less than nothing to her. At least Carolyn had been human...'

He was nothing but an errand boy. First for Carolyn, and now for these creatures.

A metallic noise told him that he had hit something. He worked his way around it until he managed to uncover some bones.

"The body is all decomposed now." he told Vicky "I don't think that you can find..."

"It was hanging from a chain around his neck. Use your hands, and you'll find it."

Distastefully, Nicholas went down to his knees and searched.

"I don't understand it." he said, digging his fingers in the dirt.

"What don't you understand?"

"You knew he had it, and where. You had him killed by Barnabas, right? Why not arrange for Barnabas to remove it instead of letting it be buried with him?"

"And risk Barnabas losing it? Or worse, remembering about it later? Here, it would not go anywhere." she looked at the bones. "Jason knew too much about Paul Stoddard and Carolyn, and would have used it. Learn from him your proper place."

Nicholas caught a metallic chain, pulled it up and was holding a small irregular stone that reflected the light in changing colors.

"Is this it?" Nicholas asked.

"Yes. This is it." Vicky said. "now cover the body again."

Nicholas obeyed, while Vicky studied the decomposed body, a mocking smile on her lips.

"Poor Jason" she said "you were not as smart as you thought. You should have never tangled with us."

* * *

"Are you sure that you want to go through with this?" Julia asked Chris.

"I have to."

"It could be dangerous, you know."

"Danger of what? That one of them could bite me? I am the only one who can do this safely."

"You are right." Julia acknowledged. "But I can't keep from worrying."

She handed him the keys. "Go with Sandy firsts" she said "she is likely to do less damage if something goes wrong."

"Nothing will go wrong."

Sandy had almost finished locking in her chains when Chris entered her cage and motioned her to stop. "Not today" he said. "we are going to try something different."

"It...It might be dangerous."

"No. It won't. I will stay with you tonight and I will teach you to tame your wolf. Just sit by me.."

Then sat side by side on the cot, Sandy looked down.

"You still can't forget what Tom did to you?" Chris asked softly.

"If it wasn't for him I would be with my children...I know that it isn't your fault..."

"Don't repress your feelings. It only makes things worse in your situation. It is all right to say that you are angry. I understand your resenting me. I do look too much like Tom, and you are now a prisoner in a cellar...it all seems to repeat itself."

"Yet it is not the same. You are here as a friend. The problem is that subconscious does not know it yet. As Barnabas says, the subconscious is very stupid."

"He told you that, too?"

'Yes. Have you every thought what a wonderful man he is?"

"I know it. But he prefers not to hear it. It makes him uncomfortable."

"I was mean with him. But he never held it against me."

"As I did?"

"You had reason to be bitter. If what happened ton Amy should happen to my little girl..."

Chris nodded at that.

"We should have tried to see it from your viewpoint. We should have admitted that it was our fault, that we were wrong. But it hurt our pride to admit it. Kira had played us for fools.. and we knew so little of everything. We knew the Bible forwards and backwards, and that's all we ever knew..."

She doubled un in a painful cramp.

"Take it easy, Sandy" Chris said "Don't fight it. Let it come out."

The body went rigid and would have fallen if Chris had not held her.

"Let it ride." he said "it is best that way."

She began to twist and moan as hair began to sprout.

Later, she would learn how to make a painless transition. Now, he had to make himself understood by the wolf.

He changed shape himself and sat watching the wolf come through her.

He moved to it and licked its face. "Keep calm" he tried to say to the frightened beast "You won't be hurt."

The wolf recognized his own species and the friendliness of the stranger in front of him. The pain was still great, but he was not alone...

Chris kept licking the changing face, calming the wolf down that way.

The transformation wasn't complete. It was still a rough human shape, walking on its hind legs. The wolf looked down, bewildered, at his changed body...

Chris wagged his tail, reassuring him.

The wolf tried to run, hitting the walls of the cage. Chris quickly snapped at its heels, and resumed its tail wagging and friendly sound making when the beast turned to face him.

The wolf still tried to escape, but each time Chris stopped him. Finally it sat down on the floor.

Chris licked its face again.

There was more pain through the wolf now. Then the face grew longer until finally Sandy was on four legs, just like Chris.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Do you want to go to the room now?" Barnabas asked Phillip.

Phillip nodded vigorously, his eyes smiling.

"You like tearing up paper?"

"It makes me feel good."

"It shows." He wondered if Phillip would be so enthusiastic at later stages of the treatment...

He himself was not. He had told Julia of it, hoping that she would shoot it down. But Julia had accepted it, finding it far more acceptable than what Roxanne might do if she lost her patience.

They just did not have the time to find a method better attuned to his sensibilities. It was a brutal cure "A horse cure" as the Spanish saying has it. As, as all "horse cures" likely to prove very effective.

So effectiveness was what they needed...

"Do you want to try something different?'

"What you mean different?"

"You know now that drawings can't hurt you."

"No, they can't. And it is fun tearing them up."

"But we cannot do that forever. Julia's complaining about all the confetti."

They went into the room. Barnabas made Phillip lie down, and relax, before he moved away.

"You feel alright?'

"Yes. I am OK."

Barnabas took the breakaway bottle from the hiding place and lifted it.

"Look here, Phillip."

Phillip's face began to twist with remembered pain. Quickly, Barnabas smashed the bottle on the windowsill.

"There, you see? It is broken.

Phillip smiled again.

"Want to see it again?"

* * *

Roxanne glared at Angelique "I did not give you permission to scry."

"They have the key, Roxanne. They are moving fast."

"The key?" in spite of herself Roxanne considered the news."

"It was in Jason McGuire's grave. They just dug it up."

"I see. Still, you should not scry before telling me first. You are careless on your scrying and they'll know they are being spied on."

"They are ready to open the gateway!"

"Just leave the worrying to me... As long as there are no children missing we know we have time. Remember that child sacrifices are needed to open the gate."

"We have to move."

"I am in charge, and you have to do as you are told. Do not scry without checking with me first!"

* * *

Chris and Sandy romped on the grounds outside. Sandy still was not able to match Chris' stride, but was eager to do so.

This was so much better than the cage and the chains... better than being trapped inside that painful misshapen halfway body...

She felt strong, agile, her nose sharp to all the scents surrounding her.

Chris came back for her.

She nipped him playfully on one shoulder. Chris reciprocated with more enthusiasm this time. He liked her ears.

Then suddenly she broke off from him and raced away. He chased her, but by the time he got there, she had changed shape and was shaking.

"Chris, no." she said. :"not that."

* * *

Julia wasn't in her office when he went it, but Roxanne was.

"What are you doing here?" Barnabas asked harshly.

"Keeping an eye on my investment" she sat on top of the desk. "Will it kill you to act civilized?"

"I think that I have been. I have not told Megan of what I know about Phillip's breakdown."

"And you don't approve?"

"I can understand you taking it out on me. But not on him. He had nothing to do with your misfortunes."

"Misfortunes? That's an understatement?" she laughed. "Julia told me how you plan to cure him. " she laughed. "I did not realize you could go that route."

Barnabas caught her by the arms.

"Julia told you?"

"She cannot keep secrets from me I had a good laugh when she told me."

"Roxanne, do not ever repeat this about Phillip. He's had it tough enough,. Mockery just as yours will make him regress... Better keep away from him in the future, if you do not want me to hurt you."

"That's nothing new to you right? Hurting me?"

He let her go.

"You are full of compassion. Except with me, of course. You told my brother how to kill me. Very compassionate."

"At that time I thought""

"You thought! Why is it all right for you to be what you are and not for me?"

"Roxanne!"

"I am what you made me. No, not the vampire. Much worse. You are the one who makes me torture Phillip. Because that's the price I paid for escaping Randall. I have to do what they say, no matter how awful. Until they decide to let me rest for a while, wipe my memories, and let me believe that I am a good person, who helps others. and who feeds with restraint. The one whose earliest memories are of helping Harriet Tubman smuggle escaped slaves to Canada. The one that believed in Stalin, and could not take the truth about him... That Roxanne is a pipe dream, a fantasy that I sell to myself so I do not know that I am a killer and a torturer, serving inhuman masters. That's what you did to me, Barnabas. And that's why I hate you, and Valerie, and Julia, and that's why I enjoy making you suffer. What have you to say for yourself? What pitiful excuse can you offer that will not make me laugh?"

"I wanted to spare you..."

"Well, it did not work out too well, did it? It is all your fault. All of it. So, when you hear Phillip scream, you know that you did it to him."

"I am sorry Roxanne, but..."

"But nothing. Go To Hell!"

* * *

"What problem you have with Sandy? She does not respond?" Julia asked bemused.

"It is... rather embarrassing" Chris said abashedly "you see, Sandy's female."

"We have known that for some time, haven't we?"

"And she is still female when we change shape and... and I am male... and my human body is vasectomized, but I do not know about the wolf body..."

'"Sandy is in heat.?"

"Yes. And I don't want... puppies.."

Julia fought hard not to laugh. Finally she managed to keep a straight face before she spoke.

"You are right, Chris. I will give Sandy some hormone shots."

* * *

Carolyn stood in front of the mirror, studying the pendant that Nicholas and Vicky had dug out of McGuire's grave.

"You cannot use it yet." Vicky warned her. "You are not ready for it."

Carolyn caressed it.

"I can feel it giving me strength."

"It can destroy you."

Carolyn stamped her foot petulantly "I want to use it now!"

"You sound just like Jeb Hawkes" Vicky sighed "but with him it didn't matter. We knew from the start that we would lose him. But with you, it is different."

"I can feel the power of it. I can handle it."

Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to allow Carolyn's child to possess her. Carolyn she could deal with, but this child...this child should be taught a lesson.

"I am strong." Carolyn protested.

"You are not."

"I am... I..."

Carolyn stopped, her eyes becoming glassy again.

"No! No!" she screamed.

Repressing a smile, Vicky raced to her side.

...It was dark... but the darkness broke. She was coming back... coming back...

...Keep pushing. ... something would give...

She had no hands to push with, but she pushed. She had no eyes, yet she could find her way to the light...

To the light... to freedom...to Collinwood...

To Vicky and Nicholas...

Vicky's hand closed over her mouth before she could scream.

Carolyn fought her, kicking and scratching, but it was only for a few moments until Nicholas caught her, and tied her hand behind her.

"Do we have to go through the ceremony again?" he asked as Vicky gagged Carolyn. "We cannot use Derek nor Roger anymore."

"They will not be needed. The key will be enough. Make her like on the table again, and tie her legs, because she kicks hard.'

They laid her down and pushed down her skirt, as the had done the first time. They placed the stone again to where they could see the baby's head. Carolyn grunted and twisted, as Nicholas smirked.

"You did not escape, Mrs. Collins. You are going again into the serpent's belly.

They placed the key over her forehead and it burned. Worse even that the burning over her abdomen...

Vicky and Nicholas chanted, as the pain grew through her body. The snake head appeared again. And then she was swallowed by the snake...

"Well, it is done." Vicky said.

"Do you think that she might come back again?"

Vicky shrugged "Untie her. The child does not like being bound."

Carolyn got up, weak and disoriented. "what happened?"

"Carolyn tried to take over again."

"But I thought...I thought she was under control."

Vicky did not say anything. The lesson would be well learned. The child would not be so confident of his own strength again.

"Do you have any problems with Victoria Winters?"

"None. but then, she went through the Ring of Fire. She's still alive inside of me, somewhere, but she has forgotten even her name. She can't find her way back."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"When I want your opinion, doctor, I will give it to you." Roxanne grumbled at Julia.

"I thought you might be interested. I ran some tests on Jeb Hawkes and..."

"How many times do I have to tell you that Hawkes was only a decor? Forget your experiments with him. You wouldn't have won that game unless you were meant to win it."

"I ran some chemical tests..." Julia insisted.

"I have no patience with you, Doctor. I wish I could get hold of werewolves any other way, so I didn't have to stay in the same room with you."

Julia paled at that.

"It was your idea that Barnabas killed me, wasn't it, doctor? From the start. And now I am supposed to be polite? I wish I could skin you alive. And Barnabas and Angelique too."

"Is that why you tormented Phillip?"

"I wanted information out of him."

"You wanted t strike at Barnabas through him. You wanted to torture him so that through his link with him, Barnabas would be tortured too."

"And you didn't lose any time telling that to Barnabas, did you?" She moved towards Julia menacingly. "What next, will you tell Megan the same story?" She put her hands on Julia's throat.

"You can't kill me." Julia said, quickly fighting down her fear.

"I will be the judge of that."

"There will be an investigation. And a new director... and you might have to move out. You may lose this base of operations..."

Roxanne's eyes narrowed, but she stopped squeezing Julia's throat.

"Well, then, I won't kill you yet." she said, twisting Julia's head to the side.

Julia had been bitten before. But never that brutally. Roxanne threw all her contempt and desire to hurt as she drank. And she let Julia know how much she enjoyed her sufferings.

She drank deeply, knowing how weak Julia would be afterwards. And stopped only when she knew it was getting dangerous.

"Well, doctor" she said, releasing her "That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

Her mouth was smeared with blood and the red liquid trickled down her chin. She made not effort to wipe it off.

Nausea gripped Julia. She couldn't give in to it, though. Not where Roxanne could see it and mock her for it.

She forced herself to stand up straight and face her. "Are you done?"

"Just watch your step, doctor." Roxanne warned her. "Next time I will not stop."

* * *

"Do you think that Roxanne knows what she is doing?" Angelique asked.

Sebastian said "A few months earlier I would have said yes. Now, I wonder."

"Why does she object to my scrying. We need to know what they are doing and how much time we have. She should be glad that I help."

"But that would mean being grateful to you, and she hates you too much for that.."

"But you cannot let hatred or other personal feelings dictate how to run an operation. I though that with her experience she would know better than that."

* * *

"It looks beautiful" Barnabas surveyed the broken bottles accumulating at Phillip's feet. Too bad that it can't last.

"What do you mean?" Phillip said, disappointed.

"You are going to be released soon. But if you keep on tearing papers and breaking glassware on the outside you'll have a lot of problems. I want you back working for me, but if the Old House looks like this room, I will have to fire you."

"Released?" That was all Phillip had heard. "You mean that I am well again?"

"Yes. You are, except for your habit of breaking bottles, that's it."

"But I need to!"

"And that's the problem. We need now to work on your being able to be around bottles without having to smash them."

"Live among bottles? Not breaking them?"

"There are plenty of bottles on the outside, and breaking them is not accepted social behavior. You have to learn to coexist with the things. Leave them alone, and accept that they will leave you alone too."

"But..."

"We can try to get you to that point. Bit by bit. Gradually?"

"Gradually?" The color was coming back to Phillip's face. He shouldn't have been upset like that. He had trusted Barnabas until now, hadn't he? And it was worked..

"Yes. A little bit each day. Following the rules. Treatment only happens in this room. You come here when you say you do. You set the pace. And if becomes uncomfortable you stop immediately. If you stop, you have five minutes to rest. After five minutes you decide to go ahead or not. We will do it in stages, and we will not start a stage until we are done with the previous one."

"What will the stages be?"

"Looking at a bottle from a distance, not touching it. Seeing for how long you can stare at it without being uncomfortable."

"And the next ones?"

"Move closer and closer to it. Stand next to it. Touch it. Then handle it. Put it away. Then take it out. Fill it up with water, empty it again. Treat it as a bottle."

Phillip swallowed.

"If it gets too bad, do I get to smash something?"

"At first, yes. Later I hope you won't need to."

"When do we start?"

Barnabas beamed at that. "How about tomorrow"

* * *

"Is there any chance about a third party candidacy? Oriana asked.

"He is going to be the Republican nominee" Amy said defiantly.

"But in case he isn't. does he want to file as an Independent?"

"No."

"I hope he doesn't . Look, I think that he's the best man for the job, and it is a pity that he's not a Democrat. But if he runs as an Independent, he might well elect Reagan or someone like that...

"Carter is not much better."

"Perhaps... I am not so sure."

* * *

He wanted to talk to Julia. He had not told Phillip what he would be doing later. The reasoning was that he only told Phillip what he could handle, and no further.

Still, it bothered him, and he needed to talk it over with someone who understood.

"Julia?" he went into her office. "Julia?"

She was not at her desk. And there were drops of blood on the papers there...

"Julia!"

A moan answered him. A moan from the next room.

Julia was lying down on the couch. He came closer and she moaned again.

"Roxanne... she got mad at me..." she said, as he touched her shoulder.

"Roxanne!" he called.

"No... don't... I will be OK. But if we make her mad, she may take too much next time... she threatened to."

He stood there, torn between the desire to have it out with Roxanne, and his unresolved feelings about her.. And the desire to protect Julia. And the knowledge that there was much more at stake...

"I will be all right. I just need to rest. Just get me some tea."

He did so. Thoughts churned in his mind. Roxanne was out of control... He knew the symptoms. He had been out of control himself often enough, and could recognize the pattern... But he could not interfere with Megan's operation...

He looked at the phone. He almost used it, but remembered that Roxanne could have someone she controlled overheating the conversation.

"Can I leave you? " He asked Julia. "Will you be all right?"

"Yes. I will feel better tomorrow. If you have something to do, go. You make a lousy nursemaid."

He went out, checked that he had enough change in his pockets and flew away. There was a public phone on the road and used it.

"Megan. I do not want to interfere. You know that you said that when I was not sure what to do, before I blundered, I should call you first? Well. You need to know that Roxanne is out of control. I am afraid that she cares more about revenge on me, Julia, and Angelique than what she has to do. Check with Angelique, Please, do something before she does really harm Julia."

He hung up. It was up to Megan now. He could now fly back.

"Well, I see that you are being smart now."

He looked with amazement at Dave Woodard who looked at him with arms crossed and an amused expression in his face.

"Why? What did I do?"

"Refrain from rushing where angels fear to tread. A novel experience for you."

"Well, Megan trained me not to interfere with her cases. It was a painful lesson."

"She's smart. She gave you what you needed most. A reality check. Poor Julia was so intent on curing your condition that she did not see that what you were most in need of was a couple of head slaps."

"You are right."

"I wish I had done that now. Give you a resounding head slap, and told you that Stupid Is Not An Option. It might not have saved my life, but it would have been a more satisfying exit."

"It might... " he looked at Dave again, surprised how easy it was. "But why?"

"Why am I here? Because I sense that your are in need of a professional consultation, and Julia's in no shape to give her opinion. And because I believe that her opinion is not as good as mine."

"But I am not..."

"You are in the profession, even if never got a degree. You handle well your patients, and they get better. So, you better explain what is bothering you."

"It is... embarrassing. Not something that I want to be talked about."

"I which case share it as a professional consultation. That will bind me to keep it secret, too. When you are in a profession you love its rules bind you beyond the grave."

"All right. It is Phillip. He was assaulted by Tom Jennings. Specifically he was raped by means of a bottle. And now he's reliving it."

"And you are applying desensitization training to him. With a degree of success, if I may say."

"Yes. He's learned that he can fight back. Now he is about to learn that bottles cannot hurt him."

"So why are you so glum?"

"Because it is not enough. The reason why he was assaulted was to suppress other memories. Memories that certain people want, and other people want erased. Those people who want the memories will use whatever means to get them , no matter what damage they do to him.. A new breakdown can easily be triggered, and used to jog his memory. He will not be safe until he can remember why bottles scared him even before his attack. And to do that, I have to destroy the terror that the memory of his rape bring him."

"And how do you plan to do it?

"More desensitization training. Only geared to the act itself... I have two patients who were victims of Tom Jennings. Sandy and Phillip. Sandy got fixated on being bound and helpless in Tom's cellar. She worked through it being chained during the full moons. Phillip is not so lucky. He got fixated on the assault itself. And working through it means..."

"It means repeating the act, only in a way that keeps his calm, and makes him understand that he will come out in one piece and that that he is stronger than it."

"Yes. I have to make him lose his fear of it... Or rather that I have to take a bottle and stick it up..."

"No wonder you are upset. Do you want an excuse not to do it?"

"If I do not do it, the he'll have another breakdown, and one from which he will not recover."

"Not much to choose from, is there? Unless you want to explain that you can help him, but you are unwilling to because he got fixated on a part of the body that cannot be mentioned in polite company."

"Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"

"Very ridiculous."

"So?"

"It is that when I think about it, I cannot see myself... I cannot even imagine..."

"How does desensitization work?"

"You go at it bit by bit, every day going a bit further, at a safe pace, until your fear and objections disappear.. Gradually."

Woodard laughed "And if you go through that, do you think that Phillip will be the only one desensitized?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Megan sat in front of Angelique, her hands crossed on her lap.

"So Barnabas is right?" Megan said.

"Yes. I know that she hates me and Barnabas. I suspected that she hates me to the point that she does not care for anything else. She says she needs me, but does not want me to help. And Sebastian says that she is changed, that she gets too angry, too out of control when he mentions me. I needed confirmation to tell you, but what Barnabas says is confirmation. You cannot trust her to be rational any more."

"So I have to take charge, then."

"Yes. They have the key. Roxanne did not seem to react or care about the news. Said we had plenty of time. I do not think we do."

"Wait a moment! what key?"

"So Roxanne did not bother to tell you... The key that opens the dimension to them. There is a gateway on the grounds of Collinsport and they intend to open it. It can only be opened by the child that Carolyn is carrying. We thought that we had time until it was born, but since he's got control of her body... No humans can open it. No Leviathans. Only a mixed breed child can."

"What is the key like?"

"A rough edged dark stone, small enough to be worn as a pendant. You cannot tell it from other stones unless you put it in a certain way against the light."

"And you saw them get it?"

"From Jason McGuire's grave.."

"Jason McGuire... Did they have anything to do with his death?"

"They put him in Barnabas' way, and since in 1967 Barnabas was hardly in control of himself, he killed Jason. But the real reason he died was what he knew about Carolyn. Do you remember a girl that drowned at that time? One who looked like Maggie?"

"I have heard of it."

"No other local girl was missing. No one identified her body. She came out of nowhere, and stayed in the water only long enough to be mistaken for Maggie."

"The Leviathan arranged for that?"

"Yes. She was Jason's accomplice, and she knew too much. Her death served to protect Barnabas, who was valuable property for them at that time."

Megan nodded. "Well, that is interesting, but the history lesson does not help us to figure out what to do now. They have the key. When do you think that they'll try to open the gateway."

"The child has to develop further. But it will be soon." she gulped. "The opening requires human sacrifice. Two children, male and female."

"Children?" Megan shivered. Not children, ever... not if she could help it.

"And Roxanne says that we have plenty of time?"

"She is wrong."

"Yes, she is. Anything else that might help us?"

"In 1970 Julia Hoffman ran some tests on Jeb Hawkes. You can try getting her notes."

* * *

Barnabas looked out of the window. It was late and everyone was asleep. Or most of them... Roxanne wasn't...But he could avoid her if he had to...

He could have gone to Collinsport. The way Julia had set up his schedule, he could go and return in two three days. But he was reluctant.

Was it because he did not want to leave Phillip alone where Roxanne could get to him? Was it because he did not want to meet Iris...He knew, even if she did not, that it would not last. It would be better if it ended quickly. He wanted more than Iris was willing to give, and nothing could change that. They had tried, again and again. It did not work...

So she would be angry... After listening to Roxanne's anger, it was foolish to fear Iris...

But there was something else, something that he wanted to share..

"If only I could tell someone..." he muttered.

"Am I good enough for you?"

Barnabas smiled wistfully at the apparition. "You still hanging around me? Am I so interesting to you?" he asked Dave Woodard.

"Seems you are...Well, I am curious. I want to know what you'll come up next. You are full of surprises."

"Thanks."

"What was it that you wanted to share?"

"What I have found here at Wyncliffe... My job as a therapist..."

"You are doing a good job."

"Do you know why I do it? Because I do bite my patients, and can thus get in direct contact with their minds. If did not do it, I might not be able to do my job.."

"So, you made it work for you."

"Dave, it is the first time that I can think of my condition in positive terms. Not 'avoid doing too much harm' not 'paying it back somehow' No, for the first time I can say that it is a good thing."

"I would say that the first time was when you could find Sandy."

"Yes. That time. But when I work here.. it is as if all those bad experiences in then past disappeared, or were not important..."

"Well, you have control of something very powerful, with a lot of potential. What you do with it is up to you."

"I wonder if it was always a negative thing, or I rediscovered something that had been there all along... If only there was some reliable history..."

"I have no idea how you could track that kind of history. What I can tell you is that the more powerful and effective the drug, the more damage it does at the wrong dose or prescribed wrongly. You have hold a very powerful and effective drug, and have to know how to handle.. When you started you had no idea of what to do with it, and the result was a disaster. But then, if you were put on the controls of a speeding car, with no idea how to drive, the result would be a disaster too.

"I made so many bad decisions."

"And no one would give you a head slap."

"Do you want to give me one? "

"You do not need it now. But you pull something stupid again, and I'll ask George to slap some sense into you.."

* * *

Joe couldn't repress a shudder when he got inside Wyncliffe. He was only visiting Chris now, on a mission for Megan. For the townspeople, he was being dragged to do his duty for his cousin by Tammy. For Roxanne, he was just bringing news of the chickens. As for himself he'd rather not be here at all. It brought back too many memories.

"Are you afraid that they won't let you out again?" Tammy asked him with gentle irony.

Joe nodded, his face frozen. "Let's get it done, then get out of here."

"You know what to do?"

"Yes. I tell Chris that we need his help to find the notes Julia took of Jeb Hawkes. You stay inside and I go out for some fresh air, or whatever, and case the joint.'

Chris was blowing smoke rings when they came in.

"Well, hello, cousin" he said. "long time no see.!"

"Hello"" Joe sat uncomfortably "do you have to stay here?"

"Officially I am still nuts and dangerous.. Oh, I go out, but only on four legs. The orderly at the door knows different, but he won't say a thing. Roxanne made sure of that. Well, this place is no worse than an efficiency apartment."

"You are training Sandy and David?"

"Yes. And both of them are making good progress. David had trouble going the whole wolf, but mentally he is in control of his actions."

"The wolf that walks like a man." Tammy muttered. "Maybe it would be better if he didn't change fully."

"That was Barnabas' argument. Of course, he has another reason for it. He wants David to take the full cure. He knows that if David goes like me, it will mean a vasectomy. Barnabas wants a grandchild, and he can only get it through David."

Tammy let out a nervous laugh.

"What's wrong?"

"I just realized how ridiculous the whole thing is. A nuthouse turned into a training school for werewolves. A vampire who wants a grandchild. And.." she laughed again.

"Tammy!"

"I'll be all right... I'll just go out for...for some air."

She went out, nodding to the orderly. "It gets too much" she said to him. "I know that he's not really sick, yet it gets to me."

"Your first time here?"

"Here and inside any mental institution,."

"He your boyfriend?" the man pointed with his head towards the closed door.

Tammy thought quickly.. For the looks of the man, he did not like the idea of interracial couples.

"No." she lied quickly. "But he and I are the two only normal people in the outfit."

"I know what you mean."

Inside Chris shook his head.

"It is crazy. You can't riffle through Julia's files like that. They'll catch you."

"But with your help..."

"There is no way it can be done without Roxanne finding out. I have been here for quite a while and I now how much she knows of what goes in here. And anyway, Julia has hundreds of notes. How can you find out what you want in a hurry?"

"But we need those notes of hers."

"What is exactly that you want to know?"

"Julia ran tests on Jeb Hawkes in 1970. Megan said that we could use the information."

"Why not ask Julia outright?"

"Because she's under Roxanne's control. And Megan does not want her to know."

"Why doesn't Megan want Roxanne to know?"

"She does not approve of the way Roxanne is handling things. Says she's more interested in getting personal revenge than in defeating the Leviathan."

Chris nodded. He suspected the same thing.

"Listen Joe. I will ask Julia herself, like it was my own idea. She will share it, as we share so many other things, Then I will let you know."

"Makes sense. When you get the information, give it to Barnabas so he can bring it out to us."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"How are your pupils doing? Julia asked.

"Quite well" Chris answered "At least Sandy is. David is a bit slow, but he'll come through."

"Well, you know how Barnabas feels about David. He wants to hold David's child in his arms, so he wants David to go for the full cure, so he does not need a vasectomy."

"How about a child by Carolyn?"

"Carolyn will have an hysterectomy. It is decided. Kenneth will perform it, even if he does not like the idea."

Chris sighed. It was a rotten thing to do. but there was no other choice. Not with what they knew.

"Do you think that David and Sandy will be enough?" Chris' brow furrowed "They are doing all right, yet I know we need all the help we can get."

"According to Roxanne, it should be enough." Julia felt uncomfortable with Chris voicing her own fears back at her.

"There should be something else se can do."

"There isn't"

Chris was silent for a few moments, as if thinking "You ran tests on Jeb Hawkes, didn't you?"

'Yes. I did. But that was in 1970..."

"Maybe you found somehting we could use."

"I...I don't think so."

"Say what you remember. Maybe we can use it'

"All right. Their skin secretes acid. Or rather it is coated with acids, which let them breathe through the skin."

"What would happen if you neutralized the acids, as if with sodium hydroxide?'

"They'd burn and suffocate."

"Why not tell that to Roxanne? She might find that useful.

Julia knew how little Roxanne cared for that information. Yet Chris seemed so enthusiastic about it that she didn't have the heart do disabuse him.

* * *

Maybe she was too unforgiving, Iris thought.

Certainly Barnabas thought so. He tried to get her to reconcile with Reverend Trask's flock.

Except that she could not stand the people. She just plain did not like them. And the fact that they had tried to burn down her shop did not make her like them even more.

Sure, let Barnabas get sentimental and talk about the need for forgiveness and reconciliation... well, he could preach as much as he wanted... He was in no mood to forgive anybody.

And anyway, why did she care about Barnabas? It had been a while since he had shown up here...

Maybe he was planning to dump her. Again...

* * *

"Sodium hydroxide?" Megan asked.

"According to what Chris told me, it serves to neutralize their skin acids, and that causes them to burn and suffocate.

"Well, I will have to get hold of some... I hope we have enough time. ...

"Megan, I... I had some idea..."

"No, you can't participate in the battle. You re not a trained operative, and you may do the wrong thing."

"I know. but I know who can help.."

"No civilians. No amateurs. And the people involved have to be able to obey without question.. That's three reasons why I don't want you in the frontline."

"I will not be involved. But I know of a way to give more strength to Angelique."

"Ask he first if she thinks is a good idea. then do as she says."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"We can open the gateway now." Carolyn said.

"Not yet" Vicky protested "you are not strong enough."

"I am."

"You are not. Have you forgotten how Carolyn broke through?"

Carolyn's eyes narrowed. "I have an idea about it. I think you caused it."

"I didn't"

"You did. You want to keep me weak so that you can control me. You don't want me to open the gate."

"I do want the gate opened."

"For yourself, not for me."

"You are wrong."

"I could have you killed. Not this body. The one you left behind at the Ring of Fire. They you would be trapped in this body when the gate is opened and we come through. You'd be devoured like all the others."

Vicky fought for self-control. She could not allow this to happen. Could not allow all that effort to be wasted. But she could not stall anymore.

"I am sorry I gave you doubts about my loyalty. It won't happen again."

"So we are opening the gate?"

"We have to arrange for the sacrifices. We have to choose the children and kidnap them."

* * *

Jake smiled at Tammy when she saw her come with Joe, back to visit Chris. Good thing that she was not going with that Haskell fellow. He did not believe in zebra couples.

As it had happened before, Tammy came out after a few seconds inside and engaged Jake in conversation.

"You met Roxanne?" Jake asked.

"Professionally, in a case some months ago. But not like you... I mean, she did not bite me."

"Well, it isn't as terrible as it sounds."

"I know. Me and Barnabas...you know about him?"

"Working here, there is no way not to know about him. You know that there is some thought of putting him in some article for a professional magazine? Of course, he will stop it. I can see why."

"Does it bother to have him around?"

"Depends"

"Depends?"

"When he starts complaining about too many coffee breaks and allowing the dirt to build up, he's a pain in the neck."

Tammy guffawed.

"But then, he's the only one who will stand up to the boss lady and get away with it. We love him for it. Then he managed to set up a schedule so that everybody got enough vacation. And he can get patients out, which makes the load easier.

"What about Roxanne? Do you mind her?

"At first I was scared. But then se assured me that all she wanted from me was to do certain things for her, and that I would not be hurt. I believe her.

"My employer, Megan Graham, is the same way. At first it was rather tough. I almost left the job before I started.

"But you didn't"

"I needed the money." Tammy smiled apologetically " but it is still hard to get the habit of it. Talk to them and smile as if they were real people. Joe gets mad when I say things like that."

Jake looked at her quizzically, but before he could say anything Joe came out.

"Well, family duty is done. We can go now."

...Odd, Jake thought. They way those two acted... they were not a couple, but he wondered...

* * *

"Kidnapping children isn't easy" Nicholas grumbled "and it can land you in jail."

"I am not interested in your opinion" Vicky said. "Go and get them."

So Nicholas had to go. He could be observed doing it, people might try to interfere... too many things could go wrong at once... how many years could he get for that?"

But if he didn't obey, he might end up like Jason McGuire...

He wished that he could still use Derek or Roger. But that was impossible. Vicky had released them. He had to put his own hands on the burning stone, no mater how much he protested...

He needed two children. A boy and a girl...

His fingers closed on the stone, and as they did, the pain made him wince. Why, why couldn't he use Roger for this?...

He saw the children playing. Mentally he chose two of them, as Vicky asked him to. As he did a new stab of pain came up his hand. The stone had received the command and was now feeding on him for the power to do as commanded...

He gritted his teeth. He had to control himself. If he did not, if he did not do as he was told, Vicky would punish him, and the pain in his arm would be nothing compared to what Vicky could do to him...

He had to obey. His days as Master of the Dark Arts, when he could command slaves for anything he desired were over. He was better than a slave himself. Two failures, Eve and Jeb Hawkes had condemned him to this...

That Jeb Hawkes had been meant to fail from the start did not change his fate. He was a two time loser, who had to be grateful with whatever bone was thrown to him...

He looked at the children. He held some control over them now. He willed them to stay behind. He willed them to wander off into the bushes...

He stayed at a distance from them... If there were witnesses, they could swear that the had not approached them...

He willed to go back, back, back... follow the path to the car... Get into the car.

And then Vicky would drive them away to the sacrificial site...

* * *

"They have the children" Tammy said, trying to keep her voice calm. "Angelique just saw them do it. Leave a message to Megan to meet us at the site. We have to go pick up Chris, Sandy and David."

"And let us not forget the sodium hydroxide carafes." added Joe.

"Yes." Tammy took a deep breath. "This is it. Three werewolves, a witch, a vampire and a zebra couple against the Apocalypse..."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Tammy felt uncomfortable. She had known from the start that they might have to carry guns in this assignment. But only against the Leviathans, Nicholas and Vicky. Maybe against Roxanne. But Jake...

There should be no need for it. He had no reason to suspect them. Maybe he would find it curious that they kept visiting Chris so often. But there had been a problem with the chickens... at least that was the excuse...

He seemed to have accepted it and made small talk with her. He did not seem to be suspicious.

Or he was, and did not give himself away...

They were now waiting outside, in the van for Sandy and Chris. David they would pick up later at the supermarket where he worked part time...

"Nervous?" Joe asked.

"Yes. Too much riding on this."

"Worried about Jake?"

"How...?"

"I have seen the way he looks at you and me. He might believe that we are not together, but he stills disapproves of a honky going around with a sister. And he likes you. I guess that must flatter you. I am not jealous. I is just that you might be fonder of him than I am."

A figure blocked the window.

"What exactly are you doing here?" Jake said menacingly. "who are you waiting for?"

Tammy looked at him. "Jake, I am sorry." she said as she pointed a gun at him.

"Well I am not." Joe said as he taped Jake's mouth shut. "You should have left well enough alone. Get into the van. Put your hands around this bar." The taped them together. "We will drop him at the office.."

"I am sorry, Jake." Tammy repeated. "This is bigger than me, your or Joe. "

"And don't get any ideas about getting loose. You will be riding between three werewolves. So, behave."

* * *

"Can we go home? Please?" Joanna pleaded to Nicholas who held her tightly by the arm.

"You will" Nicholas snarled at her. "But not now."

"I am scared" Tommy said "please let us go."

Nicholas dragged both of them out into the courtyard where Carolyn and Vicky waited.

And also two nooses.

The children kicked and screamed when they saw them, but they were no match for three adults, and in a few moments they stood there, trussed up, and the nooses around their necks, their lives to be extinguished the moment Nicholas released the branch that held the nooses low.

In the bushes, Sandy tried to lunge at Nicholas.

"Not yet" Megan restrained her. "I know what they are doing, but we cannot attack them until the right moment. Or all will be lost."

Sandy bit her lips. It was hard to restrain herself when she saw the tear stained pale faces of the children, they mouth taped shut. But Megan was right. She had to wait.

Megan studied her forces. David and Chris, each at a different end. Angelique a few feet away, ready to throw in her power in a burst of energy. Joe and Tammy holding the bottles of sodium hydroxide...

She wondered if it would be enough...

Had to be...

Carolyn took the key from under her clothes and held it over the ground.

Tekeli-li. Tekeli-li :" she chanted.

"Tekeli-li. Tekeli-li" Vicky and Nicholas answered back.

There was ;pressure in the air. Megan felt it... it was hard to think clearly.

"Shift shape" she ordered Sandy "that will protect you."

Chris had done the same, even before she had to warn him.

The changing went on and on, and she felt heavier and heavier. She had forgotten what it was like to be in Jeb Hawkes' power. It was the same now... but worse. Even her curse might not be enough to protect her.

What about Joe and Tammy? They had no protection whatsoever.

Tammy and Joe stood transfixed, their hands still holding the bottles. They felt Angelique's power behind them, but this power coming ahead of them was stronger.

Angelique ground her teeth, concentrating her power. It all hinged on her.

They saw the chanting, saw the smoke begin to rise from the ground...

A hand rested on Angelique's shoulder.

"Use my power" Old Munsungan said.

She nodded, and concentrated on the minds of those who depended on her.

Nicholas opened his penknife. One small cut and the branches, released, would whip back and hang the children.

Sandy crouched low, her mind cleared from confusion. They were going to kill children! She bared her teeth silently.

The smoke thickened, and there was a rumbling of the earth.

Their minds clearer, Tammy and Joe held their breaths. Julia Hoffman'd better be right about the sodium hydroxide. It was all the weapons they had...

Something was climbing up from the ground. Some reptilian shapes.. Angelique knew what they were but that didn't ease her shock... She drew more power from Munsungan... she might kill him, she thought. And he heard his answer in her mind 'what better way to die, then?'

"Release the branch" Vicky ordered Nicholas.

Nicholas stepped forward, but before he could do anything else, Sandy had fallen on him, tearing at his arm with her teeth.

Chris and David jumped in, each grabbing at a different creature climbing out of the ground. And then another, and another...

Joe and Sandy threw in the first bottle on the ground, over the hole.

The creatures twisted and shriveled, Then they died...

"It works!" Joe shouted. 'Keep them coming!"

Sandy let Nicholas go and jumped back, tearing at the incoming creatures while shielding the children with her body.

Carolyn grabbed the key more firmly still, trying to force the gate to open wider.

Angelique stepped out in front of her, and threw a bolt of power against her and Vicky.

"You dare defy us?" Carolyn snarled. "You cannot do anything."

Angelique ground her teeth and stared clearly at Carolyn "You will not open this gate further."

The air was acrid with the smell of the dying creatures and the sodium hydroxide burning them. It also produced small burns on the wolves, as it splattered them, but they paid it no attention.

Megan was now throwing bottles too. "If the gateway does not open further, we have won." she told Tammy and Joe.

Vicky and Carolyn fought against Angelique's power. Under the pressure of those four eyes Angelique felt her knees buckle. But she kept sending power at them. She fed her own life force, she fed Munsungan's life force into it. She sank her nails into her palms and concentrated her power on the key that Carolyn held, made that key so hot that Carolyn's fingers, in a reflex of pain, let it go.

The key fell to the ground and Angelique bent down to pick it up.

She was weak, she did not know if she could do it. But still she had to try...

"Tekeli-li Tekeli-li" Vicky chanted and with each syllable Angelique felt weaker and weaker.

Yet her fingers found the key.

Vicky's eyes glowed and she extended her hand. Involuntarily Angelique moved to return the key.

And she felt Munsungan's hand on her tighten.

She did not know how much strength he had, or she had, or if he would survive it, but she used whatever strength she had to pull the key to herself.,,

And felt a surge of strength...

The key was giving her strength...

She took it, and remembered to channel the power back to Munsungan... he would not die if she could help it...

As the power flowed to her and through her, she met Carolyn's and Vicky's eyes. She hoped that she was draining them now...

She then recited the proper incantation to close the gate.

"The gate is closing" Megan shouted "we have won!"

Nicholas twisted on the ground. If he could still hang the children, he might reopen the gate still.. But Sandy's teeth found him again and tore at him.

Munsungan stood straight, with the strength returning to him. He faced Vicky and Carolyn., He lifted his arms...

The two of them collapsed on the ground, and smoke rose from them.. Munsungan with Angelique by his side, stared at the smoke, and saw it disintegrate in the wind...

The gateway was almost closed. The remaining creatures were being slaughtered by David and Chris. Sandy shifted shape and freed the children. Their eyes were red from crying and they were shaking. But they would be all right...

"It is over" Megan wiped her brow. "By the way, why is Old Munsungan here?"

"Barnabas convinced me to invite him." Angelique said. "He was right. We needed him."

Nicholas whimpered when Chris, none too gently, forced him to stand up."

"It hurts" he complained.

"It is going to hurt worse. What were you going to do to the children?"

"They made me! I could not resist them!"

Megan knelt by Vicky and Carolyn. "I don't think that we need to perform an abortion on Carolyn now. But better make sure. Call Dr. Anderson."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It was a small party, for they felt more exhausted than exhilarated. But still the Leviathans had been beaten back and that was a cause for celebration. There were still loose ends to be tied up and damage to be undone. But that would come later. Now it was just being glad that the worst was over.

George had been invited to the party, and so had been Kenneth.

"You never told me what was going on" George said accusingly to Megan. "I though we were friends."

"We are. But I didn't know if Derek had gotten to you. I decided to play it safe."

"To think that all of this was happening and I had no idea..."

"You could not have helped much."

Angelique had trouble facing Roxanne's angry eyes. In Roxanne's mind she had betrayed her, and even if she knew it was not true, it was still hard to face.

Sandy accepted a drink from Chris. "I still can't believe it... they would have hung those children, just like that. If I hadn't stopped Nicholas..."

"Don't think about it. It is over. We beat them."

"I could do it because... because Tom had bit me that time in the woods. Somehow it makes me feel that what he did to me was worth it..."

Julia, Barnabas, and Kenneth sat together, speaking in low tones. "I don't know" Kenneth confessed "I don't like amputating a healthy organ. Yet, I had to do it."

Julia spoke softly "In Carolyn's case, her womb could never be healthy. It nearly killed her this time. It might have killed her in the end if it was not removed."

"I know...yet..."

"It is over. It is done." Barnabas said softly. "And it is for the best."

"You do not know what it means to a doctor to do what I did. It goes against all medical ethics."

Julia sighed at that and Barnabas decided he'd better change conversation in a hurry.

"Do you know what I have planned to do with Phillip?"

"Julia told me. Well, it sounds weird, but then, this is a weird setup. I don't see any reason why it might not work. Of course, there are certain things you must remember so as not to harm Phillip."

"That's what I wanted to ask you about."

"I will give you instructions, don't worry. When are you telling Phillip?"

"As soon as I get back to Wyncliffe and get my taxes done."

Kenneth permitted himself a smile "You, doing your taxes?"

"Don't say it." Barnabas looked heavenward "Come April everyone is making jokes about me and taxes. It would be so good if it were true. But it isn't. They would not extend me any more considerations than they give anyone else. Oh, well..."

"What if people start putting you as a dependent in their tax returns?"

"Then I'd be in real trouble... Well, once I got that worry out of my mind, I will tell Phillip. I will need plenty of tact for it."

"At least Phillip is making progress" Julia said "while Vicky..."

"I know. she's catatonic."

"I don't think she'll ever come out of it. Roxanne said that none of those who went through the Ring recovered."

"I think that they were not interested in finding a cure. We are. and we might find it."

* * *

"You mean all that was going on?" Phillip's eyes widened. "The Leviathan came back?"

"Yes, they did. But they were defeated."

"I wish I could get my hands on them."

"They would have killed you in five seconds. And they were the ones who had you attacked by Tom."

"That...? Why?"

"Because you had nightmares about bottles long before Chris was possessed by Tom's spirit. You had begun to remember what happened. They wanted you keep you silent."

Phillip looked sick "But that way?"

"You know the Leviathan, Phillip."

"Yes. I do." Phillip admitted. "They would do that, all right."

"And not only them. There are the creatures for whom Roxanne works. Phillip, the Leviathan engineered your attack by Tom, but it was Roxanne who sent you here, by lacing your beer with LSD. And once you were here she tired to get that information out of you, no matter how much damage she did to you in the process. Maybe you remember something about that."

"Enough" Phillip said grimly.

"She will try again to get that information. Not only because she wants it but... but because she is angry at me and knows that torturing you is a good way to get back at me. She admitted to me that she won't care if you end up catatonic for the rest of your life. Or screaming non-stop in a padded cell. She will get that information out of you. Unless, of course, the Leviathan find a way to silence you permanently. You have only one chance. to remember, all by yourself, all that happened after you fell from Widow's Hill."

"But... but I can't"

"You can't now. But if we work at it you will. Then you'll tell Roxanne what she wants to know, and you'll be out of danger."

"You think I can remember?"

"You must remember." I will ask much of you. You will need plenty of courage for it. All I can say is that there is no other way."

"What is that way?"

Barnabas hesitated "How are you doing with the bottle?"

"I can't touch it yet. But I can stand in the same room with it without being bothered."

"All right." Barnabas tired to think the best way to put it. "What the Leviathan did was a very effective way of suppressing old bad memories of a bottle. They did it with new bad memories of a bottle. If those new bad memories could be weakened... if they could lose their hold on you mind, the rest will be able to come out. Ordinarily I would recommend long therapy with Julia or any other doctor. But we do not have the time for that. There is a way. It is brutal, it is tough, it is... disgusting. But it is quick. And we need it to be quick."

"What is that way?" But by the way Phillip was paling, he suspected what it was.

"I have been desensitizing you about bottles, haven't I?"

"Yes, you have."

"I would have to... to desensitize you respect to the specific attack that Tom made."

Phillip stared for some moments, trying to convince himself he had heard what he had heard...

"No!" he jumped away "You are not doing that to me!"

"It is the only way. We well be doing the same way we have up to now. Bit by bit, until you lose all fear."

"You have been planning this from the beginning."

"Only after I learned what Roxanne could do to you, and why. After I learned that I could not stop her from doing what she wanted with you."

"You could have told me of this before we started."

"When? When you could not say two words without screaming?"

Phillip looked down "I... I am sorry."

"You have trusted me until now, haven't you?"

"You did not tell me everything."

"And you have gotten better, haven't you?"

"Yes. I have."

"You'll have to trust me again. Can you do it?"

Phillip shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I...I don't know. When Tom did it, it hurt so much..."

"I know how bad it was. I saw your face when he was done with you. I don't want to see you like that ever again. Phillip, I can make it so that it does not hurt so much. Will you do it?"

Phillip muttered something.

"Phillip?"

"All right, I'll do it."

* * *

Will Phillip recover? Will Vicky? What will happen with Carolyn, now that she can no longer have babies? Will David be cured of the werewolf curse, at last? And what about Roxanne?

Stay tuned...


End file.
